Classical radio stations

[Dorsetmike]

This year's Classic FM "Listeners Hall of Fame" has again got Lark Ascending as the top choice. It also means to me that their playlist for the coming year is now fixed, the chances of hearing anything outside that top 300 are remote.

And yet they regularly win the Station of the year award.

If you were to request "a piece of organ music" you would get either Bach Toc and Fugue, Widor's Toccata, or a bit of Saint-Saens Organ symphony, with the outside chance of a Trumpet Voluntary.

In the 18 years they have been broadcasting I think I have only heard the Bach Passacaglia and Fugue once, OK I don't listen all day and night but even so ........... And since when did film scores come under the heading of classical music?

I have occasionally sent an email request, not for anything in the top 300, so I haven't even had a reply, other than their monthly news letter, which I unsubscribe to each time.

The other Classical station in UK is BBC radio 3, that goes to the other extreme, a lot of "niche" stuff, unless you browse the coming week's schedule you never know what's coming. I now listen mostly to on-line music, I can choose my own library!

Do other countries have similar problems, either Classical stations behaving like hit parades or being too much the other way?

 

[JHC]

Mike why don,t you give internet radio a go there is just so much to choose from and it is free

 

[Dorsetmike]

Colin, I do listen to internet radio when I'm at the PC, Last.FM runs 10 hours plus each day, but I don't have PC in bedroom nor dining room which is when I'm reduced to broadcast stuff.

 

[Krummhorn]

When I lived in Southern California, we had no less than 3 classical music radio stations ... one (KCBH) that played impeccable music during the evening hours and bluegrass during the day. Another (KPFK) was operated by University of California at Berkeley which also played a good amount of classical at night but not during the day. The third station (KFAC, and now defunct) broadcast classical all day long but had acid rock commercials in later years, mainly because the "support money" was greater.

Here in Tucson, we have one classical station, KUAT, operated by the University of Arizona, which does a pretty good job with their selections, but like Mike has stated above, we too are not treated much to anything but the "major works" for organ literature.

Mostly, while working on non-musical activities at the PC, I tune in to Pandora (which I understand is on available only in the US) and can pick and choose what I wish to hear to some extent.

When I lived in Washington state, we had an excellent FM Classical station, KING-FM, that did a wonderful job with presenting organ literature that wasn't on the top 100 listing.

 

[dll927]

I well remember the old KFAC in L.A. Its one huge demerit was that it was a commercial station, and it reached the point where there was at least as much time given to ads as to music. During the day, no piece lasted more than 5 or 6 minutes, then that long for ads. The one program worth while was the Gas Co. Evening Concert. At least during the night (with fewer listeners) they gave more time to longer pieces.

At one point before their demise, some relative (niece?) of Jascha Heifitz was supposed to have been one of the managers, but that didin't last long before they went off the air. By that time, I don't think many missed it.

I suppose KUSC is still around. I no longer live in the L.A. area, so don't have the station around any more.

Most classical stations seem to regard the organ as a "niche" interest. Even Sirius Radio, which I have in my car, only occasionally deigns to play organ music. The other night there was a rendition of Bach's T & F in d minor played by --- E. Power Biggs!! I'd say a rather old recording.

 

[Corno Dolce]

It is indeed a marvelous thing when one can listen to Classical Music over the web without interruption from other music types.

 

[Krummhorn]

I well remember the old KFAC in L.A. Its one huge demerit was that it was a commercial station, and it reached the point where there was at least as much time given to ads as to music. During the day, no piece lasted more than 5 or 6 minutes, then that long for ads. The one program worth while was the Gas Co. Evening Concert. At least during the night (with fewer listeners) they gave more time to longer pieces.

I had forgotten that it was a commercially owned station ... thanks for that memory jog.

As kids, we arose to KFAC's Coffee Cup Concert being played on the radio. KCBH's nightly program, Concerto from Coldwater Canyon, with Hamilton Williams was from 8 to 11 pm. I made many reel-to-reel recordings of their broadcasts (misplaced long ago). Always appreciated their longer pause after a work was completed. KFAC announcers on the other hand, would blurt in right as the piece ended. I guess that's the difference between commercially and privately operated stations.

 

[dll927]

Let's face it -- classical music is a difficult thing for a commercially run station. How can you play a Mahler symphony, for instance, when the powers that be want ad revenue?

I used to always think of KFAC's 'hosts' as disc jockeys with a bit longer hair!! Many were the mornings I was on the freeway driving to work listening to the 6:00 AM opening with "The Lord's Prayer", Malotte version. Then I got a car with a tape player. I spent a good deal of time making tapes to play in the car off of LP discs. (I too did my share of reel-to-reel stuff for in the house.)

I was always under the impression that the record companies shot themselves in the foot once CD's came out. They re-issued so many recordings from older LP masterings that before long there were 47 Beethoven 9ths, 46 Tchaikovsky 1sts (piano concerto) and 45 Beethoven 5ths (piano concerto) and only (violin concerto). And since CD's don't wear out, all but a couple of those are overkill.

It's all where the money is. Pop music runs the show, and even on FM dials, you can hardly find a place blank enough to put the Serius thing on. So classical music listeners have to take it where they can get it.

 

[Contratrombone64]

might be the case where you live dll927 but in Australia there are at least four full time (24/7) classical music radio stations broadcasting in FM (one of them broadcasts throughout the country).

 

[JHC]

Colin, I do listen to internet radio when I'm at the PC, Last.FM runs 10 hours plus each day, but I don't have PC in bedroom nor dining room which is when I'm reduced to broadcast stuff.

Mike, I run a wireless system from my computer to the rest of the house, you can then purchase an internet radio as a standalone unit or fit one to your HiFi system, the computer does not have to be on to listen to these radios, it just depends on your preferences, apart from the initial cost of a Radio the rest is buckshee.

 

[OLDUDE]

Where does everyone find the time to (apparently) listen all day to radio or whatever.
I spend most of the week (or so it seems) :-
washing dishes; vacuuming; going shopping (piped music - yuck);gardening etc;etc;etc;

Guess thats why I only have time for jazz when time finally allows me to relax.

Cheers John (tongue in cheek)

 

[Contratrombone64]

who said anyone had time to sit and listen to music all day long, I didn't ...

 

[Dorsetmike]

I was once like that John, then my get and go, just got up and went.

 

[marval]

Time seems to me to go faster than a Wagner opera.


Margaret

 

[JHC]

:nut::smirk:

Where does everyone find the time to (apparently) listen all day to radio or whatever.
I spend most of the week (or so it seems) :-
washing dishes; vacuuming; going shopping (piped music - yuck);gardening etc;etc;etc;

Guess thats why I only have time for jazz when time finally allows me to relax.

Cheers John (tongue in cheek)

I am lucky my Wife loves working :grin:

 

[Corno Dolce]

J.H.C.

You naughty boy........:shake::grin:

 

[dhoomfm]

Dhoom FM | Online live radio station | USA streaming radio station

Dhoom FM is the America’s first South Asian FM radio station broadcasting 24X7, 365 days a year. DhoomFM broadcasts on WDDM 89.3FM and 100.7FM and in live in internet. Leading the South Asian media- entertainment services in North America provides listeners with the best of South Asian music, news, talk and commentary. The station also provides local business and corporate business clients an opportunity to sponsor segments and support the community they serve.

 

[teddy]

Hallo dhoomfm and welcome to the forum Hope you stick around and join in the various threads.

teddy

 

[Dorsetmike]

Well nothing much has changed with this year's "chart" .

What bugs me is that about 10 or a dozen composers music makes up a high percentage of what we hear on classical stations, a similar state of affairs holds for jazz, and other genre.(but substitute bands or artists for composers)

There are so many composers who are treated as what the media would call "one hit wonders" how often do we hear more of Litolff than the Scherzo from his Concerto Synphonique No 4, Barber's and Albinoni's Adagios, John Stanley Voluntary op6 No5, Vivaldi does a bit better, he has 2 "hits", the 4 Seasons and his Gloria. What is even more annoying is that nearly always the same recording and the same movement is trotted out. I'm quite surprised that Classic FM manages to get votes for 300 different works each year, albeit mostly for that ten or a dozen composers.

Maybe we should all flood radio stations with requests for something different.

 

[JHC]

As I said in an earlier post get an Internet radio set up then you will be spoiled for choice, some composers produce a lot of mediocre work at best and only one or two really good works, someguy is going to start a thread on to-days composers, now that will be interesting.
I should add: I have a 'Tangent' Int Radio it has 6 presets (for favourite stations) and by selecting 'my stations' I have access to all the stations that I have added (about 40 at last count) you can also access all the music on your PC, the range covered is all of my house the only drawback that it has is that when the Internet is carrying a big load you do get the occasional buffering, but as it is free I don't complain. God! I sound like a salesman lol