The worst classical music station.

[ai4i]

My vote goes to the Bay Area's KDFC. Their music is all extremely upbeat. Is it classical gone pop or pop gone classical? We might have actually liked this approach at a much more impressionable age. It is a format for people with short attention spans and immature tastes who want to say they listen to classical music. Anyone else ever hear it?

[jamiebk]

I live in the bay area and listen to KDFC on occassion (in the car etc.) I am not sure that I either understand or agree with your comment "it classical gone pop or pop gone classical? ". I find KDFC to be rather "stuffy" They won't play opera and only recently started playing "movie music"...which is hilarious because they only seem to play music from movies that have classical music in them! I find the station rather boring and hoped that the change in ownership might jolt them awake. Unfortunately not. However, their loss is B.com's gain and I find that I much more enjoy B.com. The hosts are "real" and they are not afraid to mix it up a bit. (which is another occassion and way to say to the B.com guys..."Hey, you do a GREAT job!". Thanks!

[BigJon@Work]

WWFM has announcers that you might like, Jamie. I feel like I've just come from a music appreciation class after I listen to them. Some of their shows are syndicated, so they might be available elsewhere.

[jamiebk]

Thanks for the tip BigJon. I will have to access this from home. Seems that Big Brother at work has blocked access to most internet stations (especially those using "call letter.com" addresses.)

[listenerma]

Beethoven.com seems to be playing the same music over and over. There also seems to be more "talk." I have been tuning in to other stations lately. However, I always try to catch Sir Stew's shows. I really enjoy Stew's programs. He mixes it up and keeps the music flowing.

[Shapley]

Hello, Listenerma,

Welcome to the B.com BB!

V/R
Shapley

[Sir Stewart]

Beethoven.com seems to be playing the same music over and over. There also seems to be more "talk." I have been tuning in to other stations lately. However, I always try to catch Sir Stew's shows. I really enjoy Stew's programs. He mixes it up and keeps the music flowing.

Thanks so much listernerma. Sir Stew

[WeirdOne]

Well, all we have in Draino (Reno) for Classical is KUNR, a public radio station. They do a decent job, for a market that has multiple country, rock, and rap stations. Still, by trying to be all things, to all people, they really end up short changing that which matters most - music.

In attempting to be everybody's friend, one usually finds that all that has been accomplished is becoming either irrelevant or hated. KUNR is of the former, despite all good intentions.

I am sure Haggis will want to weigh in on the obviousness of public radio attempting too much, for too many, at too great a cost. I would agree, except that it is in those all-too-brief moments between feel-good liberal news, republican bashing, and "world music" that I eventually heard the music that still stirs my soul.

Lucklily, for me, I am able to listen to Beethoven.com at work, and for that I am extremely grateful.

One of our local stations, KTHX, started strong, but was eventually bought out by a chain media thingy (yeah, it's a technical term), and now they suck. Before they lost their soul, they played Reggae, Blues, Alt-Rock, Folk Rock, and pretty much everything, although in a non-linear fashion, unlike KUNR, which set up its format according to time. KTHX would play a Reggae piece, followed by a bit of Rock, followed by some Blues. This "scatter-shot" approach actually worked well as it was not formulaic but rather based on the whims of the DJs.

I do, sometimes, regret not living in a bigger city, although my blood pressure would probably be off the charts in regards to traffic. As there is an internet solution to the local station problem, the moving thing is moot.
I

[Phil Watson]

Over here we basically have two stations to choose from, BBC Radio 3, which at this time of year has the Promenade concerts on live every night, and is splendid, but its only drawback is the amount of spoken air time. The other station, Classic FM is a commercial station with advertising, and a policy that seems to choose the music selection from an all time 100 ' Greatest Classical Hits'
I found Beethoven purely by accident through Stumble upon. It is very pleasing and the range of music is good. It even played a request for me, the first time ever I have had one played (apart from on ALLkrap radio, a net station with 5 listeners)
Thankyou, your station is now permanently on my computer (except during Test Matches, something Americans probably dont understand)
Phil Watson, Wolverhampton England

[Shapley]

Hello, Phil,

Welcome to the B.com BB!

V/R
Shapley

[Trumpetmaster]

Hi Phil,

Welcome!!!

Post Often!!!

TM

[barfle]

Hi, Phil! Glad you could join us!

[Ghostman]

We have WGUC in Cincinnati, and they aren't the worst. However, at peak listening times, they go on 15-20 minuet spiels about how important it is to donate. When one person gets winded, another takes over. Thank goodness for CD players and CD Amigo.

… Wait did they say Beethoven.com was the worst…?

*Picks up fungo bat*

Say it again... duck Sir Stew!!

*WOMP!*

[jamiebk]

We have WGUC in Cincinnati, and they aren't the worst. However, at peak listening times, they go on 15-20 minuet spiels about how important it is to donate. When one person gets winded, another takes over. Thank goodness for CD players and CD Amigo.

… Wait did they say Beethoven.com was the worst…?

*Picks up fungo bat*

Say it again... duck Sir Stew!!

*WOMP!*

That's the one I am able to listen to at work since IT has blocked B.com. Keeping my fingers crossed that they don't block WGUC as well.

[Ghostman]

Whoa! You listen to WGUC in San Francisco? Very cool.
What’s your opinion of them?

Oh, by the way. I don't mind donating, (as I do) but sometimes my drive home is nothing but talk, and unlike Beethoven.com, there is no way to by pass it.

[jamiebk]

Whoa! You listen to WGUC in San Francisco? Very cool.
What’s your opinion of them?

Oh, by the way. I don't mind donating, (as I do) but sometimes my drive home is nothing but talk, and unlike Beethoven.com, there is no way to by pass it.

It's one of the few streaming stations that, for some reason, IT has not found and blocked (yet). So, I usually tune in. I have it playing quietly in the background so I don't "listen" much to the intervals between the music. To be honest, I am not aware of any overly chatty hosts etc. They seem to play a good many well known classical pieces. I wish that they'd do some movie music too, but I have never heard them play any. I haven't donated to them yet...I did sign up for the B.com commercial free stream for a year, and that was about $110 so I feel like I am doing something to support classical music stations. I only wish I could listen in to B.com more than just on Fridays when I work from home. Sometimes I listen if I am traveling and have my laptop at a hotel etc.

[ai4i]

Ah, one of those Classical 24 stations! The network is based in St. Paul, MN, never identifies as such, they are always presented as being local on classical non-comms, usually but not always 88.1-91.9 FM, throughout the United States. Affiliated stations cut into and out of the format to meet their scheduling needs.
Programs include Performance Today(5d), Symphonycast, St. Paul Sunday, and Pipedreams.
Their regular announcers are (alphabetically):
Julie Amacher, Scott Blankenship, Bob Christiansen, Jeff Esworthy, Ward Jacobson,
Valerie Kahler, Gillian Martin, Mindy Ratner, Allison Young, and John Zech
The rest of your station's lineup is probably NPR, state, or local.
The network owns "Classical South Florida" in Miami and I enjoy them.