BBC in SD

June 19, 2008


Five and a half years ago, Kerrie and I moved from St. Cloud, Minnesota, back to our hometown of Sioux Falls. It was a happy occasion all around, save one minor annoyance: I had lost my BBC World News Service.

Four years of dedicated Minnesota Public Radio listenership had spoiled me. It’s not that South Dakota Public Broadcasting was that much different. They played many of the same programs as MPR, offered the same insightful local news and public interest and overall filled a void that commercial broadcasting created. But they didn’t offer BBC World News Service.

No. Instead, we got classical music. Seriously. Both during midday and overnights. Classical music. Sleepy strings and muted tympanis and other classical stuff.

I’ve always felt that classical music on a public radio station is an antiquated ideal, something that only perpetuates the general opinion of public radio as snotty, stuck up, over-intellectual tripe. I don’t know anyone who listens to it, especially in my younger generation. It’s like public radio filler, something put on because they can’t go silent.

As if the classical music itself wasn’t a silence of its own.BBC World News

I don’t have any beef with classical music as a genre. Aside from the fact that it was impossible to keep organized while I worked at Best Buy, I have respect for the music. It’s just that I don’t think it belongs on the radio. Especially when there was great chance to offer something that no one in South Dakota else did – unbiased world news in a sweet British accent.

Once, while camping, we were listening to the director of SDPB present a question and answer session on changes to their radio services. I grabbed my cell phone, ran to the edge of the lake (where our service was better) and made my plea: please, please, please bring BBC World News to SDPB. Please.

“We will keep it in mind. But many people enjoy our classical programming.”

Oh yeah? Name one.

Those people will be very upset today. An announcement during the morning news program revealed that I may have been right after all. Due to a lack of listeners, the overnight classical programming is being cancelled – from their end, not SDPB’s – and it will be replaced with…

…wait for it…

BBC World News Service.

Tags: Journalism |

Comments

6 Responses to “BBC in SD”

  1. Douglas Wiken on June 19th, 2008 753 pm

    Well, I appreciate classical music unless it is an organ dirge. I am not thrilled by “space” music or whatever it is however.

    BBC TV news is on prior to Charlie Rose in the Evenings. I like the non-celebrity attitude of their rotating talking heads.

    Anyway, tastes vary and I don’t really know where it would be possible to hear ANY classical music in South Dakota were it not for SDPB…even if they have an aversion to my telephone calls.

  2. Trassy on June 20th, 2008 318 am

    We have two public radio stations where I’m at. I think one is dedicated to classical music pretty much all the time. The other one has mostly talk (including BBC) and occasionally jazz. I don’t know whether public radio stations are the best place for classical or jazz music to be played, but I’m thankful those genres of music are available somewhere on the radio. And yes, I actually listen to it on purpose. :)

  3. Corey Vilhauer on June 20th, 2008 832 am

    Okay, I get it. I understand. Some people DO listen to classical music on public radio. Though I agree with Tracy - cramming classical and jazz onto a news channel doesn’t make much sense. I prefer them to be separate, so the choice is mine - not the program directors.

    But yes, I stand corrected.

  4. Gnorb on June 20th, 2008 139 pm

    I don’t know anyone who listens to it, especially in my younger generation.

    Gnorb, 28, listener of classical music on the radio. Good to make your acquaintance.

    I live in Fort Lauderdale and for years we didn’t have a classical music station. Save for the Jazz that played on the public radio station, which played between 9pm and 2am, the rest of radio was an arid wasteland of 4/4, repetitive pop tunes singing about screwed up teeniepop relationships and screeching guitars tied to screaming about how horrible life is. Mind you, I think these have their place, but to say that classical music isn’t needed on the radio is equivalent to saying that the BBC has no place in the American news landscape. Unless, of course, your classical station is playing nothing but Mozart and Handle, in which case they’re doing classical music a disservice.

    Edit: Alright, just read all the comments. I agree with Trassy on the Jazz/Classical/News thing. (Here we have a dedicated classical station now. Yae! And I love, love, LOVE the space music they’ll play during late evenings.) Still, Corey, be thankful you HAVE somewhere you can listen to classical. You could be stuck with nothing but country, rock and rap. Can you imagine growing up with those being your only options? It’s like having nothing to read but People, Seventeen, and Stephen King.

  5. Corey Vilhauer on June 20th, 2008 834 pm

    Yes, yes. I get it. Apologies all around.

    Did I mention that we already have a college station dedicated to classical music? (That doesn’t help the state-wide listenership, I know, but it’s something.)

    I guess my main beef was that they chose to keep classical on instead of bringing in BBC World News. Again, I was used to Minnesota, where they have several public broadcasting stations, one of which is dedicated to classical music.

    But yes, there is a need, and yes, I misinterpreted it. I guess I’m just super glad that we’re getting BBC World News (though being a Sirius subscriber, I get it 24/7 now, anyway.)

    Now stop throwing your Vivaldi records at me! They hurt! I’m a sensitive young man!!

  6. Will on June 27th, 2008 1217 pm

    Speaking of Charlie Rose — not my favorite interviewer, but he often has some good guests — I thought this was pretty amusing…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFE2CCfAP1o

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