Comments from the petition: Page 29

Culture Counts-.

It's not just classical music that's missing; it's also jazz, blues, folk, world
music, etc.
Please correct this unfortunate situation.
Thanks for your attention.

Driving to other cities in Florida, one is invariably able to pick up classical
music from the local university's radio station for most of the day. It is
embarrassing that the flagship campus has now shown its cultural philistinism by
deleting music from its station. I liked the mix we always had in the past, and
was used to listening to "All Things Considered" when driving home from campus.
But I do not want news all day long. People who want that are likely to look
for their news on the internet anyway. I do want classical music, which is
infinitely more soothing when in traffic than hearing about the latest economic
horrors and human tragedies of the world. And I certainly not going to buy a
special HD receiver for my car or my home. Now I have to listen mainly to CDs
when I drive.
The arguments put forward by the dean and others in support of the new format
were deeply insulting to the intelligence of the university community e.g. that
listener rates drop off at 9 a.m. when news ends and music starts. It is pretty
obvious that this has nothing to do with the music, but everything to do with
the fact that most people are at work at their desks by 9, and not able or
permitted to sit, listening to their radio. All the other evidence seemed
transparently fallacious, too. This policy decision pushes the goal of becoming
a first-rank university further into the distance.

Weeks after the change, I find that I listen to WUFT about 89.1 percent less
often. I was not at all happy with the sound of the HD radio I got, and haven't
turned it on since the first days of the changeover. During the next pledge
drive, I may send the minimum because I think every university town should have
public radio, but I certainly won't support the station at my customary
level.
Can't wait to hear that music has been reintroduced for balance on the
station!

Every pledge drive annually for many years I have contributed to our local NPR
station, WJUF in Inverness. When the letter came from the College of Journalism
at Gainesville, I was shocked. The fallacy of reasoning was their perception
that they lost 70% of their audience once the news/media segments had ended and
musical programs took place. While I was working I was part of that 70% who
tuned out after the morning news because I had to go to work! Then would tune
back in when I returned from work, which had little to do with news and media
programming and more to the fact peiople have lives to lead and cannot always be
part of their listening audience. I actually did go out and buy an HD radio,
and you know what? It is not the same. When Sen. Ted Kennedy died I had no
idea until late that evening when I turned on the TV to check the weather
forecast! How much else would I miss if I stay on HD 2 radio all the time?
Without the interuptions of news, etc. the musical selections seem to drone on
and on and become tiresome. Whether this is because there is nothing else, but
music, or their musical choices is hard to say. But clearly having three HD
options is NOT working very well for me. Family members in central Florida tell
me the kind of programming we had on the FM band is still in effect at their NPR
affiliate, so this was not a state wide change, only we seem to have found
ourselves captive to decisions by our local NPR affiliate, and apparently the
only option left is to discontinue any and all donations supporting them.

The arts are constantly beleagued with a reduction of funding. The change at
WRUF from a wonderful mix of some NPR, classical and eclectic music,and other
variations, is symptomatic of this attitude that the arts are not important in
this scientific age, and that "talk" radio is better than "listening" radio!
There is no other station in the Gainesville area where our children can be
exposed to such music. What a sad commentary on UF that classical music is no
longer "mainstreamed" to influence the next generations.

I need classical music in my live. I learned from listening and enjoying it,
that it not only soothes my soul, it lowers by blood pressure. I relax by
listening to beautiful music. It clears the mind, evens out your breathing and
is pure gold for my soul. When you are running a business that is for the
public, next time, ask the public what they think. You rely on us for money to
run (your/our) program, ask us what we like, what we need. Until you change it
back, I'll never listen to this radio station again, and perhaps, I'll even give
up PBS. I thought P meant Public. I'm the public and so are you!
It's time that the older citizens in the Gainesville area stand up and be
counted. Why do you think we either stay here or come here? It use to have
everything you could want. Now we're missing an important piece. I want it
back.

Please don't change the programming. 89.1 was the only station my sister and I
were allowed to listen to as children. To this day it is the only one my mother
listens too. What makes it special is being able to listen to Chopin then car
talk and other music not just one theme. It is part ofGainesville just as much
as the Gators,please don't take that away from us.
Thank you

I truly miss classic programming and, under present circumstances, will no
longer be a contributor to WUFT-FM. Talk radio in the background while I am
working at my desk is just a distracting noise, but classical music is calming,
a tension reliever.

I can't conceive a college town without a classical radio station -- it's a must
have.
Although I didn't listen to it 24/7, I did listen every day and truly miss it.
I can get talk radio on other stations but I can't get classical. It's ridulous
to be forced to purchase another radio for one station. Had they asked for
listners opinions they would not have changed.