Good Bye WQXR

Well,

The NY Times announced today that WQXR, it's classical music radio station broadcasting at 96.3 FM, and including it's 'repeater' at 103.7 in Poughkeepse - for the Hudson Valley region - will cease to exist by the end of this month.

Technically, the station will move to 105.7 FM, currently the position of the Univision radio station directed at the extensive Hispanic community of NYC. At that position, it will continue to broadcast spanish-speaking news and entertainment.

The new position on the FM dial is restricted to one-tenth the broadcasting power of the current QXR. It is designed to reach no further than southern Yonkers, covering the Bronx and the northern areas of Manhattan ('El Barrio'). To increase this broadcast power is prohibited by the FCC, because of definite interference to other neighboring stations.

So, good bye WQXR. I do not doubt that the programming will become one of Hispanic-oriented news and entertainment. And I am not being critical of that at all. It is important. But so was QXR. Where will the Metropolitan Opera broadcast their weekly Saturday program of live performances, etc.?

So, now, NYC, you leave us with no real classical music station. WNYC-FM tries, but fails. Only its Internet-only audio stream at WNYC2 offers an alternative, and I refuse to accept an Internet-only solution.

I can only suggest to stop buying the NYTimes and listening to the radio station while it stills exists. But that is pathetic and sad (perhaps a redundant comment).

Sniff!

I am sure the current QXR staff are being offered 'free' language courses in Spanish at NYU, in order to keep their jobs. You know, I learned Spanish, a beautiful language, at NYU, so that I could teach mathematics-bilingual in New York City high schools. And it was one of the best things I EVER did. But I chose to. I wanted to make a difference. I didn't do it to keep my job.

I have a deep association with the Hispanic community. When I was a member of NYC's local 802 musicians union I played many a 'pick-up' job - called at the last minute to help out - to play a Columbian or Mexican or Puerto Rican wedding. I didn't always know what I was doing, but I played my heart out. I once even substituted Ampeg bass for Eddie Palmieri's orchestra for a very long and difficult night. I don't need a lesson on Hispanic music.

But I do love QXR, as many in my fellow Hispanic community do also. We all took inspiration from what we heard on QXR. You see, all musicians belong to the same community. We all love to listen to Tito Puente and then Alberto Ginestera. This is truely something most non-musicians don't understand. It is hard enough playing the notes ... making them 'mean' something is a much more difficult task.

So, I am sad.

Please, make this work out OK in some way.

Please, if not for me, for NY.

Rich