WEKU nears launch of new classical station

With more than $43,000 in money pledged by potential listeners, public radio station WEKU is moving ahead with its goal of starting a new classical music station in Central Kentucky.

The musical genre once defined WEKU-89.9 FM before the Richmond-based station's switch last year to news and talk, which irked some longtime listeners. But classical's re-emergence will come at the cost of another genre — smooth jazz — because WEKU plans to lease the frequency of WKYL-102.1 FM in Lawrenceburg for its new station.

The change might come as soon as next month but is dependent on how quickly those who pledged donations send in their money, said WEKU's station manager, Roger Duvall.

He estimates that WEKU will need about $50,000 annually above its own operating costs to run the classical station. Duvall plans to make up any difference by approaching certain individual and major donors.

WEKU had hoped to launch the new station last year, when it switched its formats to news and talk, a move leaders said the station made to combat declining contributions and audiences. But talks with a different frequency operator fell through, Duvall said.

"We knew news and info would be popular, but we knew classical music programming had a good solid following, too," Duvall said.

Since that time, WEKU has continued to air classical music in the evening and overnight hours. It will continue to do so because the reach of the new station is limited.

WEKU reaches a large part of Central, south-central and Eastern Kentucky, but WKYL reaches parts of only 25 counties around Lawrenceburg, and many of those are on the fringe of its signal.

In fact, parts of Lexington are considered distant or fringe listening areas, according to WEKU's calculations. Duvall said WEKU plans to look at options to boost the signal in the future.

The likely addition of the classical station was praised Tuesday by those who missed the former classical format, including Wayne Gebb, music director at Beaumont Presbyterian Church.

"This gives us the best of both possible worlds," he said of the two stations. "I'm sure that like most people, I enjoy some of the talk programming, but some of it isn't meaningful for me."

The news was also greeted with enthusiasm by Richard Eiswerth, leader of Cincinnati Public Radio.

"We're certainly ecstatic any time there is a chance to expand access to classical music for audiences," said Eiswerth, whose organization operates classical music station WGUC-90.9 FM. "There is almost no classical music available on any commercial stations anywhere in the country."

Eiswerth said it wasn't because the past stations weren't profitable, but "because station owners felt they could make more money doing something else."

WKYL's current smooth jazz format wasn't about money for its owner, Frankfort-area office developer C. Michael Davenport. Davenport got into radio as a hobby and bought the frequency about 1996. Initially, its format was light hits on weekdays and smooth jazz on weekends. About a decade ago, though, the station went to all smooth jazz at the request of listeners. It has no employees, as the programming is done through satellite operations, he said.

Davenport emphasized that the deal to lease the signal to WEKU is not finished, but he said, "if it works, I will be very excited and happy for them."

Jazz programming won't be going away entirely. WEKU's Duvall said he hopes to involve people in the community with locally produced shows highlighting jazz as well as choral and other kinds of artist-driven music.

WEKU has recently been playing music provided by Miles Osland, director of jazz studies at the University of Kentucky.

Osland said that although he's glad the area had a smooth jazz station, "I think there's just more need for the classical station."

"I'm really looking forward to working with them and getting our stuff out there," he added.

Davenport said he is pleased WEKU will continue some jazz offerings for his station's listeners.

"There are some very, very loyal listeners out there who I think would continue to be very loyal to the station," he said.

This story was originally published March 23, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "WEKU nears launch of new classical station."