"we certainly will spare them our financial support--and send some of it to WBJC."

That is certainly something you should do, but the sad fact is - it doesn't matter to the management of WETA.   This move was not made to attract more donors - it was made to attract more listeners. There is a huge difference between donors and listeners.

WETA can go the talk route and potentially attract more listeners, but those listeners won't be the loyal donor demographic that supported the classical program.   What it will do is draw more corporate underwriting as companies will realize that they will target audiences that buy their product. Don't let that "non-commercial" crap fool you. When the FCC (a four letter word in my house) opened up the rules to allow "underwriting" a number of years ago, it started the slippery slope that you now see.

IF you want to be effective, find out the names of the corporations that are undewriting this "new" programming on WETA. Send your letters to them - not some empty suit at WETA.

This is not just a problem in DC.   All across the country public radio stations are dropping programming for changes like this. Local flavor disappears.   Talk is cheap - you do not have to pay royalties to musicians, syndicated programming is readily available, and you make money.   

I work (volunteer actually) at a non-commercial radio station that is owned and operated by a university in Teaneck, NJ. We are not part of NPR or any other public radio network. We do not have large underwriters.   We still rely on listener donations (and we are in the midst of our fund drive). My station is part of a dieing breed.

What happened at WETA is a crime, however it is not something that happened overnight.   It will only get worse unless people speak up and change the elected officials that made these changes possible.