Mary Cliff...marginalized!

Subject: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: GUEST,saulgoldie
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 09:05 AM

Nothing about this? Can't believe it! Mary Cliff, folk personality on WAMU in DC has been reassigned (banished) to HD radio. I mean, who has an HD radio, anyway? This after the earlier incident of her being cut from WETA a while back.

PBS and NPR are often our friends. Now is not one of those times. Yeesh!

Saul

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: maeve
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 09:14 AM

I haven't had the pleasure of hearing her show, but here is Mary Cliff's website:
http://www.marycliff.net/

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 12:29 PM

Absolutely right, Saul. I wonder what the backstory is on this.    The program which is to take her place sounds rather dubious:   something about how prominent non-musicians love jazz.   Doesn't sound like a long-running program--or one with much appeal.

You can listen to Mary's program online, but it won't be on regular radio, it seems.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 12:31 PM

The website appears out of date;   talks about the Saturday night 11 to 1 show which will no longer be heard.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 12:43 PM

You're also right, Saul, about WETA.   When they cut Mary, I sent them a blistering e-mail and told them I would no longer support them unless they reversed this.   I lasted a few years, but I have to admit WETA is a good classical station.   They don't seem to feel it's their duty to challenge the listener with modern music all the time.

Now WAMU is going the same route.   Years ago they exiled country and bluegrass programming to the Web and HD, and now this.    And of course they still want support.   (And Rob Bamberger's jazz program is in fact excellent.)

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: maeve
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 02:23 PM

Similar goings on took away much of the solid Folk programming on so-called public radio in New Hampshire and Massachusetts over the last several years.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: Elmore
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 03:00 PM

Every time I donated to a public radio station in Massachusetts they changed their format to the detriment of folk music.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 08:56 PM

Elmore, I had the same experience, in my case with WGBH. When I started listening to folk music on that station, the Celtic music program was on Friday nights, and a program with a wide range of folk music was on all Saturday afternoons. Then the Celtic program was moved to take half of Saturday afternoons and the other program was cut in half. A few years ago only the Celtic music program remained for 3 hours on Saturdays.

Even worse was when WGBH turned to almost all news and talk programming and eliminated classical music entirely. We were told that if we couldn't get the sister station that continued to carry classical music over the air (and I couldn't) we could stream it. Right. And burn out my computer early? I had a few things to tell them about that, including that my donations would stop. After about a year they built a transmitter in RI so I can now hear classical music, but I waited another year to resume my donations.

Elisabeth Null sent out a group email about Mary Cliff's Traditions in DC. It contained a link to WAMU. After the explanation from the station at the link, I added my comment to many others.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 09:04 PM

What's really being margianlized is folk music. Mary's disappearance is collateral damage.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 09:44 PM

Dick, you are right, of course.

I have heard that one reason WRIU continues to carry so much folk music at such good times is that these programs raise a lot of money during pledge week. That is obvious at such a small station. It is probably not so obvious at larger ones. The people at WRIU must know that reducing folk programming would reduce donations. I am careful to call in my pledge during the show hosted by one of my friends.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 12 Aug 13 - 10:49 PM

I stopped kicking in money to the Chicago NPR station when they dumped local folk programming in the mid 1990's. I even told them why, when I was phoned about donating to do a special pledge drive. I said the only way I could voice my disapproval was to not send money. The person on the other end said they understood. I like some of the news shows, etc. but I felt I needed to "vote with my feet."

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: Elmore
Date: 13 Aug 13 - 11:36 AM

ChanteyLass: WGBH was the worst offender for me. The next worst is WUMB-FM, although they still have some decent traditional shows on weekends. Weak signal, though. Especially since I've moved to The mountains of North Georgia.

Subject: RE: Mary Cliff...marginalized!
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Aug 13 - 12:04 PM

So even in the US this sort of music is marginalised