WEKU dropping classical music radio station. But they’re offering an alternative
Classical music, once a staple of public radio programming, is going to be a little bit harder to find in Kentucky, beginning next month.
On Dec. 16., the Eastern Kentucky University radio station will cease 24-hour broadcasting classical music on 102.1 FM. But the programming will continue online, through internet streaming.
Listeners will be able to access it on digital platforms including weku.fm and the WEKU mobile app, according to the station.
The classical music station began broadcasting July 2011, after WEKU’s main station at 88.9 FM switched to news and talk programming in 2010.
But, in a news release posted on the radio station’s web site, WEKU director and general manager Mike Savage said the continued broadcast has become financially unsupportable.
“WEKU was leasing the frequency at a significant expense which we could just not maintain,” Savage said in the release.
The classical programming available online is exactly the same as what listeners hear now on 102.1 FM, Savage said.
“WEKU Classical will continue to broadcast great fine arts programming including ‘The Metropolitan Opera’ and select ‘LexPhil’ (Lexington Philharmonic) performances in addition to the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra broadcasts,” he said.
For those who are not familiar with accessing streaming music broadcasts, WEKU is offering tutorials online at weku.fm/listen and will even help one on one. You can request help by emailing the station at wekuclassical@eku.edu or call 800-621-8890.
Savage said the station has let listeners know that the classical station, WKYL, has been sold and will putting on new programming beginning Dec. 16.
“WEKU operates 10 radio stations, nine we own. The one we don’t own is this one,” Savage said.
He said they know how important this service is to listeners and so he is answering every call or email about the change, including offering to come to a listener’s home to help set up the streaming service.
“The reality is folks are not happy ... but when we explain it and talk about the reasons behind it, and what they can do to listen, we’re getting people who have made the switch are are happy,” Savage said. “Because the sound quality is far superior to 102.1, which is an aging transmitter.”
Meanwhile, WUKY is also adding an all-classical channel, Essential Classical, which will be available on WUKY HD-2 and is on WUKY.org, smart speakers and the WUKY app now, according to Tom Godell, WUKY general manager.
This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 12:53 PM.
