One Year After Change: Is WGBH/WCRB Working? (on the demise of “the peoples’ music” at WGBH-fm)

It has been one year since WGBH management took the station “single format” and eliminated “the peoples’ music” (folk and blues).

As Jim Kweskin put it at the time, “I can only assume this has something to do with the almighty dollar. Isn’t this supposed to be public radio and aren’t we the public. Folk music has been a mainstay on WGBH for as long as I can remember. Acoustic artists are as popular as ever and in some ways even more popular then in days gone by. I don’t get it. WGBH should be ashamed of itself. Well, as Ma Joad said, “We’re the people and you can’t stop us and you can’t lick us. We just keep coming, ’cause we’re the people.””
-Jim Kweskin, November 11, 2009.

In commemoration, I recommend you read the recent essay in the Boston Music Intelligencer (a blog of classical music), in which Lee Eiseman writes scathingly of the format change at ‘GBH one year later.

“WGBH drops folk and blues programs” is a contemporary accounting of WGBH’s actions that appeared in the notloB Music Blog on November 7, 2009.

The elimination of “the peoples’ music” from “public” radio stations is a national phenomenon. To stay informed, read Keeping the Public in Public Radio.