I was away visiting my son in Israel for two weeks when news of WETA's immanent canceling of Traditions hit. I did get brief internet access to my email one day last week, and the FOCUS folk concert series had sent out a broadcast email about it with Sheryl Lahti's email address. Even though I was pretty sure it was too late, I emailed Sheryl Lahti. I said that Traditions was my sole reason for supporting the station. (I didn't yet know about the switch back to classical).

Whenever I had sent money to WETA, either by mail, website or phone pledge, I had always told them in capital letters that Traditions was the reason. I never got the sense that the message went anywhere, though. I would get a "so what's your point?" feeling from the pledge phone answerers. The email form didn't have any place to put your programming favorites.

Exactly two years ago today (Feb 5, 2005) the article came out in the Washington Post that WETA was "considering" dropping classical programming: this thread .

I went to that WETA public comment meeting, dressed in my musical notes hat and Chautauqua pin, hoping to catch the eye of Paul Anthony, one of the WETA Trustees I had met briefly in Chautauqua NY in the '90's. I got in line to be one of the 30 people allowed to make a one-minute comment at the meeting. As instructed by WETA, I had brought with me a copy for each of the Trustees of an overview of the dozens of letters and petitions people had given me at my choirs to take to the meeting. A wide variety of people spoke - educators, choral directors, symphony members, community leaders, etc - all saying how vital WETA's classical music programming was (I included saying how important and loved Traditions was, also). I did get to talk to Paul Anthony for a few minutes as well.

None of it did any good. Public comment period notwithstanding, the decision to drop classical had really already been made.

Mary Cliff was there at the meeting. At that time she was grieving for the fate of her classical music programming co-workers. It was apparent they all really cared about each other as a family.

As soon as I got back from my trip and woke up this morning I checked the Mudcat for news. I'm so relieved Traditions survives in some form, but it's not the same. It's very sad. I had been afraid of its being canceled ever since I started listening in the late '70's - when I didn't have any wheels or money and couldn't really get to any of the concerts Mary so temptingly listed in the Whos Wheres. How could something so good and old-fashioned continue for long in today's world?

Linda