Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio 
Spring 2002

      Two events have posed the greatest threats or perhaps the greatest opportunities for classical music radio in America: the terrorist events of September 11th and the launching of the XM and Sirius radio satellites. As Dickens would observe, it is indeed the best of times and the worst of times for Beethoven and Bernstein on the terrestrial airwaves. On a much greater scale, including those listening to public radio, it was America’s day of terror September 11th. Those who would have their public radio outlets go all news 24/7 could argue that such probable future events make necessary a constant flow of information to the general public.
      If anecdotal evidence gathered at the latest AMPPR conference is worth recounting, stations that offered an intelligent and sensitive mixture of news and music were examples of public radio in its shining hour.
      As jetliners hurtled into great skyscrapers and the nerve center of our military might was in flames, accurate fast-breaking news was crucial. When the attacks were over and the magnitude of the tragedy was realized, music was the solace for many. Never was the Barber Adagio more poignant, the Beethoven Eroica more defiant, or the National Anthem more apt to fill one with pride and resolve.
      The listeners put it best. They supported the next round of fund drives like never before and the message was clear: they supported us because we broadcast news when people needed it, and broadcast music because people needed it. The point to make to format decision makers at public stations is that we need Barber as much as we need bulletins.
      Public radio is in a unique position in these most uncertain of times. Few stations can match the incisive reporting that comes out of NPR and PRI. In a sea of Liddies and Limbaughs, the news content of our networks has never been more exemplary. By noon September 11th, we had received enough input to collectively chill us to the bone.
      Amid the seemingly endless replays of collapsing buildings and anguished firefighters, there came the ageless sound of Bach, radiating an eternal reassurance from centuries past. There was Dvorak, soothing the soul with the Largo from the New World Symphony. There was Gorecki, Copland, Mahler, Buxtehude, composer after composer, crossing the ages to send musical messages that reassured people that good would prevail and time would prove to be the master of terrorism. In many cases, there was one added factor to this mix: the reassuring sound of trusted local voices relaying news items and presenting the music. 
      This turns us to the emergence of satellite radio. From their lofty spots in the heavens, these services can stream various formats in digital sound and easily reach the previously sacrosanct interior of automobiles. Users can have news when they want it and music as well. 
      How can the typical public radio station fight that combination with a single terrestrial transmitter? The same way we responded to the challenge of September 11th. Give users the news they want and the music they need. Do it with trusted voices, intelligent programming from a wisely stocked library, framed by the best in radio news. 
      The most successful restaurants are not always the ones with the most seats or the broadest menus. Think of those restaurants that really know their patrons, that are always on top of service, that offer the choice foods presented in the most appealing of surroundings. Apply that analogy to your station. Are you connected with your community? Do listeners trust you and have they come to rely on you over the years? Do you offer programs worthy of their spending $120 a year on you instead of a faceless “supermarket of audio in the sky?”
      If you have convinced yourself and your community of your worth, then convince your decision makers that music and news belong together–they make good radio–they answer the challenges from satellites to terrorism. John Adams should be as indispensable as Noah Adams. Now more than ever, great music should be heard on every public radio station. News when we need it, music because we need it–right here on your public radio station.