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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Friday Feedback for June 16, 2017

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I appeal to WHQR to exert a little more positive influence over the vocabulary used by its own staff and local contributors. - Wayne

Listener Wayne wrote: “Decline of American societal values is led, in part, by the trend-setting broadcast of vulgar language by the media. My long and appreciative listening to WHQR finds that it is a media outlet which does maintain a good level of broadcast quality. Yet from time to time a little cuss word manages to find its way onto WHQR's airwaves. . . a case in point is the recent announcement of some material to be aired entitled "Getting Paid to Be a Smart ." . . it appears to me that our WHQR is in a position to assist in reversing the use of this improper language. . . I appeal to WHQR to exert a little more positive influence over the vocabulary used by its own staff and local contributors.

"Eliminating vulgar language over the airwaves will serve by example to raise the level of discourse in our society, and this will become a stepping stone toward restoring our ethical and moral values."

Thank you, Wayne.

Listener Macky wrote:

I don’t know who is doing your programming or who your preferred audience might be but I can’t help but wonder if they know that music existed before the 20th century. . . I would be willing to bet the last dollar I have in my pocket that during your fund raising campaign, you will select music from the classics and romanticists. . . When I find myself constantly turning off your station, because what you are playing is not what I can begin to consider music, you can rest assured I will not contribute during your drives. . . I find that not only on a morning like today when I like to awaken to pleasant sounds but also, when I am driving at the end of a long day, it is nice to listen to music other than what you consider pleasing to the ear. It is anything but that and the radio is turned off. There are outstanding, renowned 20th century composers, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Mahler, Fauré, Gershwin, Copland. I can understand your wanting to introduce new music. But, how ‘bout sporadically instead of consistently? I suspect I shall never receive a response but at least I will have voiced my opinion. I, also, suspect that your intended audience is not anyone over the age of 50. . . too much of your programming has been a huge disappointment for me.

To answer one of Macky’s points, the classical music he listed is not programmed by us here locally. Monday-Friday from 8am to noon is programmed by Bob Workmon, and Monday evening from 8-10 by Pat Marriott on his evening concert. Other hours originate from a syndicated feed programmed by Minnesota Public Radio, one of the nation’s leading classical networks. In response, I would point out that while the 13 minutes or so that Macky lists does in fact have 3 out of 4 20th-century pieces, that’s not a typical sample.

But ultimately, this is a question about individual taste. I will say that Bob and I feel that for a service that supplies 126 hours of classical program per week, Minnesota does a very credible job of selecting good performances of fine music. It’s not easy, or even possible, to satisfy everyone at all times. But as a listener, you of course only need one person to be satisfied – and that’s you. So, thanks, Macky.

Finally, on a couple of personal notes, I want to say a special thanks to our colleagues at Port City Daily for Wednesday’s article about me as I approach retirement. It made me sound far more articulate than I am, and I am deeply touched and appreciative to Beau Gunn and Benjamin Schachtman. And I hope to see many of my Feedback pals at next Thursday’s annual membership meeting. It’s at the MC Erny Gallery in our studios, 254 North Front Street in Wilmington, starting at 6 pm.

We’d love to hear from you on Friday Feedback. You can send an email message to feedback-at-whqr-dot-org, or you can leave a call at 910-292-9477. Download the new WHQR smartphone app for iPhone and Android. And as always, thanks for your Feedback.