Suggest early and often [Jacobine / Flickr]
An encouraging number of our New York City listeners have written recently to ask where in the world Open Source has gone on the WNYC schedule. We learned last week that the station decided to make some changes, and unfortunately Open Source has lost its place for now. Such are the vagaries of public radio.
You can of course stream us, download us, and podcast us all day every day. But if you want to hear us on the radio in New York City again, you’ll have to let WNYC know how you feel.
You can do that here: listenerservices@wnyc.org
From Brooklyn, NY:
I got in touch with you all on Tuesday, after this became apparent. I also e-mailed WNYC to ask what was up, and received the following response, which I am posting as a reference for other listeners (as I have already forwarded it to Chris et al.):
Dear Nate Landry:
Thank you very much for taking the time to write to WNYC, New York Public Radio. We appreciate and welcome your feedback about the recent changes to the schedule of AM820.
Our Programming staff routinely spends time considering the way listeners respond to programs and reviewing listener feedback we receive. With any schedule change, we know that some listeners will be disappointed and others pleased. However, our goal is always to present a vibrant schedule that best serves our audience.
We agree that Open Source is an innovative program that experiments with new technologies to further involve listeners. Unfortunately, the limitations of a broadcast schedule force us to make tough decisions in order to continue to present new programs which we feel will resonate with our listeners. You may be interested to know that you can get podcasts of Open Source and listen to its live web stream. Please visit their website for more details http://www.radioopensource.org.
We are excited to add Fair Game with Faith Salie to our schedule weeknights at 8 p.m. Faith and her guests take a humorous look at the day’s news and entertainment stories and also features live music. Once you’ve had a chance to hear the program, we hope that you’ll let us know what you think.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us and please continue to share your feedback and impact the radio you hear on WNYC.
Kind regards,
xxxx xxxx
WNYC Listener Services Associate
*****************
Chris wrote me back, and suggested I email Chris Bannon, program director at WNYC. I did so, and someone else at WNYC (who had not sent the above email to me) got back to me, presumably on behalf of Mr. Bannon…and it was the exact same response, word for word, sentence for sentence.
It just seems arbitrary and unfair, and it’s telling that WNYC purports that a new “news and entertainment” program–a depressingly familiar template across the airwaves, public or not–will be satisfactory in OS’s stead.
For what its worth, I heard that “Fair Game with Faith Salie” is produced at WNYC, so the deck may have been stacked a bit. Have not heard that show yet – I’ll still listen to Open Source.
Finally, I emailed my WNYC, my public radio station. Here is what I wrote:
Dear WNYC:
How could you? It is by far the best talk show I have ever heard on the radio in all my 50 years (except maybe Leonard Lopate). Fair Game is a poor substitute. And why does Fresh Air have to be aired on both AM & FM? Just listen to the show on February 7th with Jonathan Lethem and compare that to Fair Game one hour early (Open Source’s replacement?) Quite honestly, I love hitting the sleep button on my clock radio, set to 820 AM WNYC @ 9PM, and hearing Christopher Lydon welcoming me to Open Source versus getting my lap top and downing loading the show. I want to hear hear it coming from YOU! Please don’t dumb down your audience.
Your faithful supporter,
Carla Porch
PS OPEN SOUCE: I know your show on Wm James is still “warming up?” but when do you expect to air? Two years ago (I’m a grad student) I took a psych class and wrote a paper on James and his father, Henry, Sr. Needless to say, I still find Wm fascinating.
Following the text of my email to nyc:
Dear WNYC:
Please. We don’t need another fluffy program. Fair game is just ghastly- silly- bouncy (despite Neil De Grasse Tyson tonight- ‘serious’ stuff interspersed with: People magazine’s sexiest astrophysicist? Astronaut diapers? Doesn’t that make you cringe?). Please bring back Christopher Lydon- he’s a stalwart- his show is engaging, the interaction with bloggers ought to be enough to interest the younger generation, and for pity’s sake, there’s enough fluff on the air waves without WNYC making room for more.
Please do not bother to send me the stock response letter; I’ve seen it already. I daresay that most NYC listeners aren’t much interested in “humourous looks” on today’s “entertainment stories”. Just reconsider this ill-advised programming change.
Many thanks,
Long-time supporter and listener,
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