All’armi! All’armi! All’armi!
As I wrote last week, WUFT is dropping classical music–and, apparently, almost all other music besides–to go all talk. WUFT is part of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism, and, as such, is subject to the College’s demands. And they are demanding change. But, as you can imagine, I am personally saddened by this decision.
I am receiving some solace, however, in the outpouring of popular support for classical music, and in the reighteous indignation from listeners who have written letters–published today–to the Gainesville Sun protesting the format change. There have been op-eds, as well, from Raymond Chobaz, the conductor of the University Orchestra, and from Mickie Edwardson, a wonderful lady and former UF professor, with whom I have had the pleasure of working for years during the station’s pledge drives. Dr. Edwardson knows tons about opera, and her recording collection puts mine to shame. She is a fantastic emisary for classical music. She once gave me a biography of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
I don’t know if anything can change the dean’s mind at this point. But it makes my heart happy to know that people don’t want to take this lying down. My new battle-cry:
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The College of Journalism?!? Good God.
J-School graduates and their MBA brethren have all but annihilated the newspaper industry, mostly through a deadly mix of self-importance, ineptitude, and an utter lack of imagination & foresight, and their counterparts in Public Radio have now so profoundly corrupted the original precept of raising cultural standards for the PUBLIC (you know, giving folks something to *aspire* to…?) that they’re not even a shadow of that ideal, anymore.
Once lost, your Classical Music programming will NEVER come back – the spiral is always downward, and the bottom keeps moving.
It will be painful, but those who feel betrayed should vote with their wallets – anyone who gives a thin dime will be validating this horrible decision.
Best of luck to you, and your listeners!