[BC] The separation of WGN and WFMT

[Gordon Carter]

It would have been interesting if WGN had kept WFMT.  They had repeatedly promised that they had no intention of changing the format, even though the listeners group didn't believe it.

I may be na?ve, but I think they really did not intend to change the format.  Besides being a major black eye, doing so would have cut off the hand that fed them.  OTOH, ratings and money are the key to broadcasting, and classical doesn't do ratings well, even though it can be self-sustaining given the right circumstances (no heavy debt load).

Gordon S. Carter, CPBE, CBNT
Chief Engineer
WFMT and The Radio Network
5400 North St. Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
773 279-2071

-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Rich Wood
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 2:26 PM
To: Broadcasters' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [BC] The separation of WGN and WFMT

------ At 12:42 PM 2/20/2007, Gordon Carter wrote: -------

>Yes, WGN did give WFMT away, but not for the reasons most did.
>
>WFMT was founded by Bernie and Rita Jacobs, who sold the station to WGN
>when Bernie was in ill health.  A listeners' group challenged WGN's
>ability to operate WFMT, fearing that it would be changed from its
>classical format to something else.

That's how I remember it and it's the same story I got when I worked 
for Tribune. It's a shame because WGN could have had a stranglehold 
on Chicago's upscale audience. As I recall, WFMT had advertisers with 
virtually automatic renewals and Chicago Magazine (originally WFMT's 
Program Guide) was very profitable.

I remember talking about it with Wayne Vriesman when he was head of 
radio. We were both wishing things had turned out differently.

Rich


Rich Wood
Rich Wood Multimedia
Phone: 413-454-3258

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