At once-proud WGBH radio, a weak signal and poor reception By Stephen R. Low, 12/01/96 When the program was canceled abruptly a year ago, "Listeners for MusicAmerica" was formed to appeal to WGBH to restore what had been the jewel of its daytime schedule. After collecting 7,000 signatures on petitions and after sponsoring three concerts that rallied Boston's musical community and after raising more than $40,000 now held in escrow for WGBH-FM, we are not surprised at the revelation that WGBH has conspired to outplace ``MusicAmerica'' to Saturday nights on WPLM-FM, Plymouth. To paraphrase Cole Porter, "it's the wrong time, it's the wrong place." Are we disappointed? Yes. Daunted? No. The longest protest in the history of Boston radio will continue with vigor, for our inquiries into the affairs of WGBH-FM have shown that the station is afflicted with institutional decay and cannot recover its reputation as one of America's best public radio statons without major surgery. What has happened to WGBH radio? For more than a decade, Boston's two major public stations, WGBH and WBUR-FM (90.9), competed for listeners and prestige. Once a symbol of quality, WGBH offered diverse programming with high-profile hosts, and with a 100,000-watt signal, it had greater penetration than any other station in New England. WBUR began as a college station, then developed a national reputation for reliable news and intelligent talk. In recent years, it has chipped away at WGBH's audience. In an effort to reclaim listeners, WGBH management decided a year ago that changes were in order. Instead of innovating, however, WGBH copied a portion of the WBUR format, adding 10 hours of news each week. So what if all 10 hours were simulcasts of NPR programs already available on WBUR? At the same time, WGBH expanded its programming of classical music, hoping to restore its image among the cultural elite and also to lure listeners from classical station WCRB-FM (102.5). Alas, the pioneer had become the pirate. The reason WGBH lost listeners had less to do with the old format and more with a management that lacked creativity, that took listeners for granted, that snubbed any taste but its own and made little effort to understand Boston's musical community. The changes have failed, and WGBH's fortunes continue to decline. A decision to invest with the BBC in an hourlong international newscast has proven a disaster. In order to meet on-air fund-raising goals, WGBH is offering premiums that approach the value of the donation. Add to this the embarrassment engendered by the campaign to bring back ``MusicAmerica,'' and it's obvious that WGBH needs help. How could matters have deteriorated so? Living in the shadow of WGBH television, WGBH radio consumes only 5 percent of the operating budget and gets even less attention from senior management and trustees. The Community Advisory Board that WGBH is obliged to maintain is passive. In short, with three weak legs - top management, trustees and the CAB - no wonder the tripod has collapsed. Problems can be traced in part to no-strings-attached funding of public radio. Whether the money comes from Congress or individual contributors, WGBH management is accountable to no one. Changes in programming are ``rolls of the dice'' rather than intelligent initiatives based on analysis. Here are three recommendations: The public should demand that changes at WGBH radio become a prerequisite for financial support. Corporate and foundation money should be withheld until the station responds to the feedback it solicits so aggressively. Federal funding should be suspended until WGBH stops simulcasting programs to a market already well-served by WBUR. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting should demand that the Community Advisory Board fullfill its mission and that its agendas, deliberations and reports be independent of station control. Finally, bring back ``MusicAmerica.'' Scattering the program's ashes to a weak station on Saturday nights, when audiences are small, appears to be WGBH's way of silencing and punishing its contributing listeners for having protested. WGBH management must commit publicly to restoring WGBH as a station that is responsive to and respectful of listeners, or else face continuing erosion of audience and financial support. WGBH-FM is not a private amusement park. It's a public asset. We pay for it. And from it, we demand excellence.Stephen R. Low of Lincoln is a financial consultant and co-founder of Listeners for ``MusicAmerica.'' This story ran on page D7 of the Boston Globe on 12/01/96.

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