WFCR & The Attack of the Killer Folk Music Fans

Fans of cancelled WFCR's programming are mad as hell and they're not going to take in anymore. They've already taken non-binding to town meetings in Pelham and Shutesbury, and last night, they passed a resolution at Amherst Town Meeting.

In a town that flies a United Nations flag, rejects an article calling for the American flag to be flown on September 11, and debates how long to leave American flags up after Memorial Day, it comes as no surprise that folk music fans have formed a coalition to make a federal case out of local public radio programming. (I'm serious. They want to change the law that governs oversight of public radio stations owned by colleges.)

The Controversy

The controversy dates back to January when WFCR cut four programs with small, but intensely loyal audiences. Tertulia, a Spanish language show that ran on Sunday nights, was cut and eventually returned for two hours, instead of four; The Thistle and Shamrock, a Celtic music show that aired at 8 p.m. on Saturday nights; the locally produced Valley Folk, which followed the it; and Afro Pop Worldwide plays African and world music. At issue were the ratings and funding for the program.

At the time, The DHG reported:

'The issue is having limited resources and making decisions about where we want to spend them,' said Martin Miller, WFCR's general manager. 'We need to spend our resources where there are more listeners.'

Miller also pointed to trends in broadcasting as an influence on his decision.

Much of the music that will no longer be on WFCR is available elsewhere, Miller said. For example, WAMC in Albany carries a folk music show that airs at the same time as 'Valley Folk,' and there's a Celtic music show on WMUA. On a broader level, new computer technologies are making niche music available to everyone. The shift of this music from radio stations to other sources is similar to the migration of small-audience network television shows to cable in the 1980s.

'We no longer view WFCR as just 88.5; we're a media organization,' Miller said. 'We operate on multiple platforms. Our Web site will provide links to five folk streams and will add a Latino link.'

Miller clearly has a point, and one which the Coalition to Democratize WFCR (I'm not kidding. Check out the link.) doesn't seem to understand. The forseeable future of niche broadcasting belongs to the internet. To older WFCR listeners, listening to the radio on the computer may not come as second nature, but the technology is there and has increased access to programming.

To accomodate listeners who missed the station's folk music, for example, WFCR began playing folk music on its sister AM station WPNI.

The new music programming comes about after WPNI's longtime former partner, 88.5 FM WFCR, partnered with its sister station, the Boston-based WUMB-FM.

The AM station WPNI, owned by Pamal Broadcasting of Albany, will now rebroadcast a schedule of blues, bluegrass, world music and performer interviews from WUMB.

Last month, WFCR contracted to use WNNZ AM-640, which was has more power than WPNI, to increase access to programming. During my drive time, that means I can choose between Talk of the Nation and WAMC's Vox Pop. As a result of this change, WFCR has gains me as listener a few days a week. (I never listened to classical music). WFCR also offers programming from its website on HD2. From my point of view, the station's programming has improved dramatically.

The Democracy Issue

If a band of conservative Christians were lobbying for more say in the programming of WFCR, I don't think the Coalition to Democratize WFCR would be pushing for changes in legislation to enable more public input. Democracy cuts in all in directions, not just toward liberals.

It's one thing to pressure WFCR and another to try to change the law to control.

At stake is the very independence of the media, said Martin Miller, general manager of WFCR.

'Should a political body address the content or editorial decisions of ANY media outlet?' he asks in a letter to Amherst Town Meeting members. 'The First Amendment protects the freedom and independence of the media, whether private or public.' [DHG]

Although the resolution passed at Amherst Town Meeting, it was not without controversy. The vote was close with 77 people voting against it and 91 people for it.

A Tale of Two Public Radio Stations

Protesters are right about WFCR's lack of local programming. Although it has increased in recent years with interviews by Bob Piquette and my personal favorite Laurie Sanders' Field Notes, WFCR offers precious little local programming. I don't know for sure, but I assume the reason is the relatively high cost of producing its own content.

Perhaps it's unfair, but I can't help but compare WFCR to WAMC. My guess is that the latter is one of the better public radio stations in the country, but the differences are stark and instructive. Most of WMC's announcers have discernible personalities from the indomitable Alan Chartock to the charming and hearty Susan Arbetter to the jovial Joe Donnelly. WFCR's personalities are little more than names, but after twenty-years of listening I would be hard pressed to characterize any of them individually.

Listeners can tolerate WAMC's pledge week. It's a genial extravaganza featuring spoofs performed by staff members, interviews with well-known people, and fun. Members are exhorted to be a part of the station. WFCR, by contrast, features monotonous pledge weeks with uninspiring requests for money and, not uncommonly, guilt trips about not contributing.

For programming, WAMC doesn't rely exclusively on NPR. It broadcasts Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Market Place, and Fresh Air, but it also uses programming from PNI. By expanding its outlets, WFCR has increased the variety of its programming too.

This comparison is not fair in a few regards. They have different formats, smaller listening areas (I think), and dynamic leadership by Alan Chartock. WFCR is following a public radio format forged in the hey day of Rober J. Lurtsema. I suspect it is inertia and money, rather than a lack of democracy, that keeps the station in this old format of classical music. Maybe the music attracts a lot of listeners. I don't know.

Bottom Line

But I think the protesters, wrong as they are about wanting to rewrite federal law, realize something about WFCR that perhaps station manager doesn't know: there is a dire need, not just for content, but for community. Miller has expanded and diversified programming, but at the same time, he's eliminating a sense of community that he should be buildling. Here in our happy little valley, we have more talent and more knowledge than most non-urban areas across the country. There are so many opportunities for program content and making connections in our community. It would just take a little imagination to develop them.

--Mb