Philadelphia story

I am a new resident of Maine, transplanted from the Philadelphia area. I supported public radio there for nearly 10 years and would like to continue our support of the institution in Maine.

WHYY in Philadelphia is an all-talk public radio station. It used to be an all-classical music station but now it sponsors and broadcasts debates between professionals on different sides of currently pressing issues in our society. It broadcasts interviews with politicians, community leaders, people in the news, authors, etc. The change was controversial at first, but its listening audience grew as a result of the changes.

As a supporter of public radio, I want diversity in programming. If I want to listen to all classical music, I can listen to my vast collection of records, tapes and CDs. When I turn on the radio, it is because I want to be connected to the world outside my own environment, to learn something about it and thus to be better informed.

Someone recently wrote a letter saying that Maine Public Radio was developed by educators interested in informing the public. Classical music, whatever other benefits it may have, does not inform or educate the public. I support MPR’s changes and, again, will encourage others to listen and support MPR if the programming offers something for them to listen to.

Ben Erik Lamborn

Levant

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Maine Public Radio’s help is desperately needed in Philadelphia and points south of Bangor. While driving through this misguided city on our way to Florida, my wife and I were in need of a good afternoon of news analysis and commentary, but instead got classical music … in the afternoon! Not only was music on in the afternoon, but it continued after only a brief summary of news at 4 p.m.

My day had an unfilled void. My mind was not engaged and my life was certainly not enriched. How was I to interpret the day’s news without guidance from MPR’s new and excitingly important afternoon programs, you know … the liberal version of Rush Limbaugh? How could I possibly interpret the comment I heard earlier in the day that “Bill Clinton locked his drawers upon departing the White House”? I thought Hillary had done this month’s ago. Where was Philadelphia public radio when we needed it? We were lost in a wilderness of music.

Not only does this Philadelphia station play classic music in the afternoon, but they invited listerns to tune in Saturday morning for more classical music. Haven’t these people heard of “Weekend Edition”? I’d even bet they allow the opera to be heard Saturday afternoon. How gross.

Obviously these Philadephians are mentally troubled. How else could one explain why the good people of Maine have insisted that MPR enrich their lives with in-depth news analysis and interpretation of the issues of the day instead of violating our ears with noise called classical music composed by Beethoven and other dead people?

And it gets worse. Through the Carolians, Georgia and even Florida, we kept hearing classical music when there should have been talk shows. Our final destination was Fort Myers, and they, too, kept playing music all day long and they even had the audacity to offer the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday afternoon. It must be the heat that creates this passion for music. There’s deep trouble for public radio south of Maine and without vigilance this passion for music might migrate morth.

Peter A. Sonderegger

Holden