There's a lot going on
The Gainesville Sun seems to have taken to the view that the opposition to WUFT-FM's format change has died down. This would be in line with the hope of one of the consultant's reports (obtained at long last through a public-records request). The report projected that that Dean Wright and friends would have to deal with angry listeners for only one or two weeks. Well, we, the angry listeners, have not obliged him.
At two large gatherings lately—the arts show at Thornebrook and the concert of the University Symphony Orchestra—we found a tremendous outpouring of indignation at the radio station's change in format. Members of our committee met many people who were quite eager to sign a petition; many want to get involved in other ways.
If you are one of those people who have found out about our group recently, welcome! You are not alone in this fight!
I have logged 557 confirmed petitions on the website; Sue and others in our group have collected a few hundred additional entries on paper petitions.
Without a doubt, Gainesville has a strong interest in music. You may have read in one of the emails sent from this website where I wrote a notice about the UF Symphony concert for October 9. I have just come back from that concert, and I am very energized. There was a very large crowd in University Auditorium: the main seating area was completely full and the balconies were almost full. Most of the attendees were UF students. Even though one might not expect this demographic to fill the hall for a symphony orchestra, the place was full of students. The music was excellent and played with gusto. I have been to many concerts, and the one I heard this evening was one of the very best.
Musicians don't play like that unless they are engaged. Some of the audience members might be there to see their friends, but the people there would not react as they did unless the music touched them.
Music has a powerful hold on us, and it is natural that we want to hang on to it. No wonder we hang onto this fight much more persistently than the hired consultants imagined.
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the UNpledge Drive
I called in to 392 8989 last week, early on in the current drive.
I told the young woman volunteer that I was calling in an UNpledge. She was flustered, asked someone next to her what to do, then returned and said "I can't help you with that."
I explained why I was calling and that I was told that she should take the information. She checked again and came back and said I would have to call another number. I insisted she take my unpledge and yes I told her I knew that she had nothing to do with the problems with the programming. She took my last name and that is all she requested. I insisted she take my 1st name and the amount of my unpledge. Chances are she tossed them in the trash at the behest of whomever was telling her what to do, or more aptly put, what not to do with an unpledge caller.
I hung up wondering if any of our unpledges are being duly recorded.
They don't want to hear us
It is very notable that they make no pretense of hearing any dissenting voices. They stay amazingly on message and pay no attention to the fact that lie when they say that our pledges keep our favorite programs on the air.
As you can see, they are not truly interested in listening to their members. They have rejected all forms of dialogue. All they want is to have their own way, the the best we can do is keep up the drumbeat.
The fact that people call with their unpledges has to have some kind of effect on them, even it they try hard not to acknowledge it. Already in their pledge-drive commentary and in Paul Gordon's letter to the Gainesville Sun, they have said things that could only be understood as responses to our newspaper ad.
The more important part of the unpledge drive is the email that you send to Dean Wright and/or the station. This becomes part of the documentation that stands in testament against their arrogance, and may finally be part of what turns the tide.
Raise the bar U.F.
I also phoned in Tuesday of last week and was told I would receive a call back. They took my name and number, but no other information regarding my "unpledge". I did not get a call back.
As a newcomer to the Gainesville area, I was heartened when local parents organized to save arts education in the schools. I am sad these good people haven't shown more opposition to this drastic and damaging change to the community on behalf of our children, if not for ourselves. As adults, the loss of quality music programming on our radios is significant, but for the children it is profound. Imagine growing up never experiencing the beauty of classical music! Perhaps next, the University of Florida will close down The Harn and use the space for broadcasting, or storage...
What direction is Gainesville and The University of Florida heading? Will the finest students, professors, physicians, and professionals want to live in a city that has, in effect, done away with classical, jazz, folk, soul, and blues music on "public" radio? Can we attract the best of the best when we are second-rate in so many areas?
On a upbeat note, last night, November 4th, the White House held an evening performance celebrating classical music. Bravo, President Obama!
Another venue
My husband and I have started going to some of the Met opera broadcasts at the Regal Theaters. The program I miss most from Classic 89 is the live opera broadcasts, I think. Anyway, I was chatting last week with a young woman who seemed to be in charge of the series, and she commented that they were planning to open 2 theaters for the broadcast every time, because the first broadcast of the season was very crowded (she didn't say sold out) in 1 theater.
I didn't discuss it with anyone at the theater but I thought it made sense that the audience for this programming (at $20-22 a seat) has grown since the live radio broadcasts are no longer available.
This might be another venue to put flyers for the petition/protest re. the loss of Classic 89, though I don't know whether Regal allows it.