A Worthwhile Experiment?

WCAL is dead and gone (barring an administrative coup d'etat with the FCC). The former Saint Olaf school station, in Northfield, MN, was easily the most interesting classical music station in the Twin Cities area; it exhibited a vastly greater sense of programming adventure than KSJN (99.5), MPR's music flagship in the Twin Cities.

Although I covered the purchase when it was first announced, and did my little bit to publicize the efforts to derail the sale, there wasn't really much to be done; it was a friendly sale from the beginning (Saint Olaf, curse their stodgy, stingy Scandinavian hides, wanted out of the radio business).

So I'll tip a glass (of free-range organic distilled yak milk) to the memory of WCAL, and hope that KSJN improves; they could stand to take a little walk on the wild side (in the classical-music sense of the term).

That - and my standing objection to the notion of government support for Minnesota Public Radio as an institution in the first place - set aside, though, I have to say - at first blush, I like what MPR wants to do with the signal:

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) told its staff Thursday that the new WCMP will present a diverse musical mix that targets "listeners who have grown up in the digital generation" -- read: younger ears -- with an emphasis on local artists.

Among local and national performers offered as examples: Mason Jennings, the Replacements, Olympic Hopefuls, the Jayhawks, Lucinda Williams, Joni Mitchell and U2. The station also will dip periodically into vintage material from the likes of Chet Baker, Johnny Cash and Ella Fitzgerald.

"Welcome to the anti-format," Steve Nelson, KCMP's new program director, said in a press release. "Music listeners don't categorize themselves into narrow niches and stay there. They listen to more kinds of music than ever before. And much of what they want is not currently available on radio in the Twin Cities."

In other words, a station that sounds like my MP3 player. Which is a good thing.

And as far as working at the station itself goes:

"Our staff will be hanging out in clubs, searching the Internet, reading music magazines and streaming music from around the globe to find the best music."

Wow. Sounds like a week at the NARN, only with money!

Posted by Mitch at December 16, 2004 05:09 PM | TrackBack