A classical music station is absolutely essential to my life and to this town.
I intend to work to have the decision for talk radio overturned.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-22 11:09:16
I cannot imagine living in a university city where there is no classical radio
station. I can only compare what has happened to 88.5, the Flagler College Radio
Station that I often listen to at the beach. That station has a wonderful
combination of different kinds of music, including classical. To eliminate
classical music entirely is a slap in the face to many long time contributors.
We have supported 89.1 for many, many years; but there will be no more
contributions until there is a change.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 09:12:04
Please bring back the old format, a mix of music, news and informational
programs.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 10:15:54
What a disappointment to turn on WUFT-FM and get nothing but words, words, words
most of the weekday hours and weekends. The mix we used to enjoy is what made
the station special. There will be no more pledges from our household.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 12:21:19
The talk format is absolutely horrid. Diane Rhiem's voice makes my dog howl.
Even a carrier signal would be an improvement.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 16:55:39
I appreciate the quality of the talk shows you are now airing, but all talk all
day is EXHAUSTING to listen to. I can no longer leave the radio on while I
work. I really miss the Exploring Music program weekday mornings at 11:00. I
am grateful that you left us Prairie Home Companion, and the music programs on
Sunday evenings. I'm a big fan of Bill Beckett, too! Please bring back the
more balanced mix of programming! It doesn't have to be all classical music.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 16:56:40
UF should be a school with innovative leaders in each department. Dean Wright,
in making the decision to remove classical music and go to an all-news format,
has simply gone with the laziest, practical, and most unimaginative solution to
cut staff and add generic news feed while disguising that move as a "Benefit" to
our community. It becomes a case of bait and switch for those who supported the
station for the mix of news and music, and this is unbecoming for a department
leader in a school which should be heralded for inventiveness and guile. That
Gainesville, one of the fastest growing Per-capita modern cities in America, has
no representation on the general airwaves for classical music is craptastic!
Please return to a music/news format and re-hire long-time master talent, Bill
Beckett, or resign and leave creative decisions to your betters, Dean
Wright.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 20:10:33
I miss Classic 89 and the wonderful classical music programming...not just the
classics, but certain programs like Pipe Dreams on Sunday afternoons not to
mention Richard Drake every morning ...Also I think they have done away with ALL
music...folk, jazz, Marian McPartland at 7pm on Fridays....I have tuned into the
station a few times just for a few seconds...yesterday morning I heard someone
say "If the American people only knew" and I quickly went to CD in my car (who
cares??)....What a tragedy...a day without music is like a day without
sunshine!!! (Or Florida Orange Juice for that matter)...!!!! Who needs all this
talk anyway???
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 20:40:07
Talk radio can be found everywhere-up and down the radio dial. I am a huge fan
of NPR programs but taking off the outstanding cultural programming of WUFT-FM
for more of the same is ludicrous.
Comment confirmed at 2009-09-23 20:43:17
The short-sighted and arbitrary decision by Dean Wright and the UF heirarcy to
pull all music from WUFT FM radio should be reversed. The Dean's public
response of placing the music format on the HD2 channel shows the Dean's
disregard for anyone outside of the ivory tower he inhabits.
Muy reasons for being upset with this decision are many, but I will limit my
response to the two most obvious.
First, the HD signal is short range, at best, and from my limited
experimentation with the radio signal and HD TV signals, more than likely does
not reach to my zip code.
Second, HD radios are not readily available in large numbers, nor are they
affordable to the average person. Of the few HD radios I have found, only one
was under $130 and it is insufficient in its capabilities to use in my home for
the sole purpose of trying to get the WUFT HD2 signal. This makes it completely
unreasonable to invest in an HD radio, if I probably will not be able to use
it.
How is this for an idea? Return Classic 89 to its rightful place on the analog
dial and put the all talk format on the HD2 channel.
I intend to work to have the decision for talk radio overturned.