Comment from admin
Time: June 3, 2011, 2:43 pm

I want to point out to Grant Oliphant, though, that the recent moves by YEP & EPM show a clear DISregard for the public radio community.

WDUQ is the #1 public radio station in Pittsburgh. WYEP runs a distant third, behind Classical WQED, according to Arbitron. In fact, barely two-thirds as many listeners are interested in WYEP’s music as are interested in WDUQ’s, and WDUQ is the #2 radio station for African-Americans in the city (not their #1 PUBLIC radio station choice–their #1 RADIO station).

Based on the clear preference of public radio listeners for the programming on WDUQ, the logical move would have been to shake up WYEP’s format, perhaps putting news & talk on the broadcast station and moving the music to HD for the smaller number of people who prefer it over WDUQ’s jazz.

Clearly there is some agenda driving these moves other than the preferences and best interests of Pittsburgh public radio listeners; I think it’s time that agenda is brought out into the open, and I challenge EPM and the Pittsburgh Foundation to do so immediately.

Comment from Gerald R Tieman, Ph.D.
Time: June 6, 2011, 4:02 am

I certainly agree that reducing jazz programming at WDUQ does not serve the needs of the community. I have stopped my contributions to WDUQ and I encourage others to do the same. In spite of all the good works of the Pittsburgh Foundation, I have to wander what shenanigans are going on.

Comment from Mary Barr
Time: June 8, 2011, 12:49 pm

We are told that Essential Public Media and the foundations saved our public station from being lost altogether. But isn’t it a false dichotomy to imply it had to be either all-news or some dreadful commercial broadcaster? The foundations and EPM surely can “save” WDUQ with its current popular format and wonderful staff– but they are choosing not to.

Moving jazz to HD radio will ensure that it reaches a much smaller audience. Perhaps the view from the boardroom looks different, but we are in a recession and many families will simply not be able to afford the smart phones and such that are being proposed as a solution.

Comment from Marc Yergin
Time: June 8, 2011, 1:08 pm

WDUQ has been a radio station that has helped make Pittsburgh unique. It has helped listeners connect with the great history Pittsburgh has with jazz and helped new listeners gain a better understanding of what our heritage has been, is, and will be in relation to this unique American music format. Putting another all-talk, all-day radio format on the PIttsburgh airwaves will make Pittsburgh just another urban area, not unique at all. While you can listen to music while doing other tasks, talk radio takes concentration and attention. Good luck at work. I also wonder if one reason the Pittsburgh Foundations have invested so much in a radio station is so their points of view can be explicitly delivered to us.

Comment from Michael
Time: June 8, 2011, 1:09 pm

The previous post made many of the points I’ve been considering. While Mr. Oliphant and others talk about the need for an all-news station, then fail to discuss the the reasoning why the MOST popular public radio station should change its format while the LEAST popular should remain the same.

If the all-news format is such a winner, isn’t is logical to change WYEP to the all-news format, thus giving it’s ratings a boost? If the claims are true, then WYEP would quickly become the #1 public station, surpassing even the popularity of WDUQ in its current state, and EPM would have two highly-rated public stations.

Under the current plan, however, and based on their own claims, the change to WDUQ would keep it at #1 and leave WYEP even further mired in the #3 spot.

Why would that be anyone’s goal? I can’t think of a reason. So when they story we are being told can not lead to a logical conclusion, the only other possibility is that the story itself is false. Either based on a false premise, in which case EPM is lying to us, or based on incompetent thinking, in which case EPM is unfit to manage this change.

Comment from Max Leake
Time: June 8, 2011, 2:13 pm

Mr. Oliphant,

You obviously have good but totally misguided intentions. I am a jazz musician in Pittsburgh and a life-long resident. I also am a business person. The decisions that have been made, with almost no regard for the opinions of the vast number of WDUQ supporters (who by the way have been voting for jazz programming with their wallets for years) makes no business sense at all. But you all are going to find this out the hard way. Many people have already started pulling sustaining memberships from the station since the announcement was made.I have talked to many supporters who are not going to pledge until their opinions are acted upon. HD radio is a joke. And many of the listeners of jazz will not be upgrading to a different kind of radio in their cars and homes. The Internet is a great way to find streaming jazz. And while I use it, there are many people who aren’t comfortable with that technology. If that is such an “expansion” of jazz programming and it is so wonderful, why didn’t you relegate news and talk programming to primarily HD and streaming?

You have effectively declared war on jazz and the African-American community. We have a heritage that is famous all over the world and jazz musicians who come here to perform can’t believe what a vibrant jazz community we have. You have ignored this. I and many others will be waging a campaign to encourage people in this town to pull all funding not only from WDUQ, but WYEP as well. Maybe you will hear us when you have insufficient funding to continue your new format.

Comment from Gary Rugel
Time: June 8, 2011, 5:48 pm

The elimination of WDUQ-FM jazz programming will also eliminate an important source for information about local jazz events that are discussed by the on air disc jockeys.

Comment from Zimife
Time: June 8, 2011, 8:19 pm

First, I commend Duquesne University for keeping WDUQ a public asset, and ensuring that it in some way benefits the community. However, there is some concern that the sale WDUQ furthers the alienation of the African American community in Pittsburgh. This seems to be an emerging trend, considering the sale of WAMO in 2009. It seems that there is an effort to isolate African American listeners, whether deliberately or unintended. Another reason for concern is that Pittsburgh has such a rich history with Jazz music. I hope that this news inspires other radio stations to incorporate Jazz music into their programming, so listeners don’t feel completely abandoned. Finally, maybe this event can inspire and launch conversations about all cultures having avenues for music and art to be expressed.

Comment from Fred M. Fargotstein
Time: June 9, 2011, 12:10 am

1. To say that EPM has heard the jazz community and that this is represented in the new schedule is laughable. Quite to the contrary, EPM and those who support it are clearly ignoring the jazz community.

2. While I cherish NPR, who wants to listen to nothing but news 24/7? Surely we could all benefit from more balance in our lives.

3. To say that EPM is expanding jazz programing is an untenable stretch of the truth. Who has an HD radio? My household will need to replace 5 radios, please. Plus 3 in our vehicles.

4. To ask for patience while the singularly talented staff of WDUQ is cast to the four winds is ridiculous.

5. Why are the contributions that I made to WYEP to support their programming being used to usurp and pillage Pittsburgh’s most popular public radio station?

Comment from agmines
Time: June 10, 2011, 11:21 pm

Finally, a reasonable response to providing more information, news, and talk, and cut down on the JAZZ.

Tha Jazz hours from 9 Am to 3 Pm and 7 PM to 5 AM every day was a waste of Airtime.

No boycott should change this stations intentions to prevent more informative news and educational formats at WDUQ.

The JAZZ bunch is so few in number and so selfish and it will be heard all day long on HD Radio.

Good call in cutting the Jazz and increasing the education.

If you think education is expensive try ignorance, Jazz does not educate as an overall system of good factual information.

WDUQ New Ownership should be saluted in recognizing the need to change 90.5 for the benefit of the many rather the selfishness for the few.

Comment from esceotiti
Time: June 14, 2011, 4:54 am

I wholeheartedly agree with admin. It is obvious that Duquesne University’s decision to sell to the SECOND highest bidder was based on something other than generating funding for new programs of study.(Possibly WDUQ’s accepting underwriting by Planned Parenthood against the Catholic college’s wishes?) Duquesne’s explanation that the WYEP/EPM consortium offered a more stable and sustainable future for WDUQ than did the highest bidders (WDUQ staff and supporters) was questionable, since Duquesne’s interests were clearly NOT in WDUQ’s survival or format.

It seems to me that the Pittsburgh Foundation should have a real concern for the preservation of WDUQ in its existing format. Having the prestige of being Pittsburgh’s oldest Public Radio station, WDUQ was a flagship station with NPR at its inception. Celebrating daily the rich heritage of this community’s contributions to Jazz past and present, WDUQs on-air personalities inform as they explore all facets of America’s Classical Music.

Do the people of Pittsburgh of ALL demographics need another source of news at the expense of this invaluable cultural resource?

Comment from Maggie Holder
Time: June 14, 2011, 4:44 pm

I thoroughly disagree with the proposed changes. The outpouring of support during the sale of WDUQ spoke volumes for the format as it is. We have no need of an all-news station, and I will not support it or WYEP in the future. It’s that simple. I will not pay for something I don’t need or want.

Comment from Rich Haverlack
Time: June 15, 2011, 1:49 pm

Count our blessings, eh? Perhaps, reminiscent of the bygone Viet Nam war era, you would have better written, “We must destroy the station in order to save the station.”

We all know how that sentiment played out in Viet Nam. And we all know that the most important lesson that history teaches is that we don’t seem to learn from it.

Best of luck! I hear that a boycott is already in progress… and the ownership has not even changed hands yet.

Comment from Gene James
Time: June 15, 2011, 5:34 pm

I am pleased that 90.5 has been saves for public radio, but there does seem to be a hidden agenda. I’d feel much better about this affair if (1) WDUQ’s finances were public, (2) WYEP was not a failing station, (3) Duquesne U. was not profiting from the sale.
Kudos to Pgh Foundation for their efforts, but I hope they were diligent.

Comment from abc
Time: September 14, 2011, 9:19 am

90.5 thank you