Divinest Sense

DC public media outlet WETA accepted an offer from radio conglomerate Bonneville that they just couldn’t refuse. Now the radio format, which used to be news from the BBC, NPR, and some local issue talk shows, will be replaced by 24-hour classical music. This is apparently the result of an agreement between Bonneville and the public radio station to pick up Bonneville’s WGMS classical radio material and format, which was losing money.

While I’m definitely in favor of classical music and think public radio might be the best place for it, giving up the news programs will mean a critical loss for the DC radio-listening public. It’s pretty sad when the seat of our government and the home of intelligent, diverse people and cultural resources can’t keep alive more than one public news radio station. I guess I’ll be getting my NPR stuff from WAMU now. It’s a decent station but it caters more to the academic crowd, doesn’t do as much local interest programming, and doesn’t carry some of the shows I’ve grown to really like.

The only other radio station I listen to sometimes is WTOP, which is a local independent outlet. Unfortunately, other than providing decent traffic and weather coverage, WTOP is a steaming pile of crap, with stories and features that cater pretty much exclusively to white people living in the Virginia exurbs.