I literally cheered in my car by myself! -- Erika Huddle
Of course this was the week we signed on our new Classical HQR signal at 96.7fm, and made significant additions to the lineup on HQR News at 91.3fm. If you listened to CoastLine on Wednesday, you know that we received many comments about the changes, generally in 3 camps:
- 1) listeners who like news, who are very happy;
- 2) listeners who like classical music and can receive the 96.7 signal, who are also very happy; and
- 3) classical listeners who can’t get 96.7, who are understandably not happy at all.
You can hear CoastLine on its repeat broadcast, tomorrow at 1 pm.
While listeners in most of New Hanover County and some other areas appear are getting both 91.3 and 96.7, listeners in the Southport/Oak Island/St. James area were reporting difficulties in getting the new Classical HQR.
To choose one example of many others, listener Sandy of Southport wrote:
As a charter member of Friends of Public radio who subscribed before the station was even on the air, and at a time when my means were quite limited, I was hopeful that the new station would fill the music void that was created when the talk-radio folks took over the station. No luck... What's your excuse this time?
I wrote to Sandy that it's possible an external antenna may help. Another option is streaming online at whqr.org, This also works on a smartphone, which can be linked to your car radio. 91.3 HD Channel 2 is an option for listeners who have an HD radio in their home or car, as many new models do.
We certainly feel the unhappiness of listeners such as Sandy. We knew that the 96.7 signal is not as strong as 91.3, but there was no way to predict exactly in advance exactly how far it would carry. There may be a long-term fix possible for her area, and we are investigating it now. But it will not happen overnight.
[AUDIO CLIP]
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for putting WHQR 91.3 on all news – thank you, thank you, thank you.
Ken and Sandy Holland wrote:
[We] listened to the special broadcast [Wednesday] announcing and beginning the two new WHQR stations... Everyone had wonderful things to say about WHQR and its vision for the future… Of course, thanks were given to the wonderful hard-working staff at WHQR, and the station underwriters .... Unfortunately, one enormous group was NOT mentioned at all… the hundreds, perhaps thousands of individual listeners to WHQR who each year pledge... We deserved a round of thanks and some applause as well.
While the building purchase Sandy and Ken mention has been made possible by a special capital campaign, many of whose donors were in the room Wednesday, there is absolutely no question that they are right that listener contributions have always been the backbone of our local operating support. I’m sorry that they feel that listeners were slighted during the ceremony Wednesday. You are the reason for our existence, and we must never forget that.
Erika Huddle of exceptionaleducators.com wrote:
I almost cried this morning! I literally cheered in my car by myself! I love that I still can hear news after 9am because that is my new commute! BBC, oh how I love hearing news from Europe to balance the perspective (or reveal another) and Diane Rehm live this morning! They gave HQR a shout out! I am a huge HQR fan, obviously.
We’d love to hear from you on Friday Feedback. You can always leave a message via email to feedback@WHQR.org. Our Feedback Phone is 910-292-9477. And thanks for your feedback.