All around the country, radio stations are playing less and less vocal music at a time when the opera audience is larger than ever. Have you lost opera on the radio yet in your community? Washington, D.C. opera fans have, and they are asking for our help. Helping them will send a strong message that there are thousands of us who want to keep the classical voice on the airwaves.
D.C. is fighting back and CS is asking singers everywhere to help them in this cause. John Patterson from D.C. has started a website to make it easy to protest. Go to www.metmaniac.com and click on the top of the page. You’ll be shown exactly what to do. (For those of you who don’t have web access, I’ve included the street addresses below.)
Here are the details from that website:
“Without warning, WGMS, which bills itself as “Washington’s Fine Arts Radio Station,” has dropped live opera programming on Saturday afternoons. This means that the Metropolitan Opera, as well as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, will no longer be heard on that radio station, and may no longer be heard in the nation’s capitol at all. The most obvious alternative outlet for Saturday afternoon opera is WETA, one of the nation’s premier public radio stations. Unfortunately, WETA, which bills itself as “The Nation’s Station, The Community’s Voice,” has been noncommittal about picking up these broadcasts. It is time for the opera lovers of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to organize themselves, boycott WGMS and its advertisers, and persuade WETA to carry the Metropolitan and Lyric opera broadcasts. If you live in the Washington, D.C. metro area, you know that the stakes are high. If you don’t, just remember; if the ax can fall here, it could fall in your area next. You can become a part of our effort. Join Us!”
So what can you do?
1) Write a letter to WGMS management.
[WGMS, 3400 Idaho Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20016.] Write a letter to Bonneville Communications, the parent company. Richard D. Alsop is the President and General Manager. [5 Triad Center, Suite 375, Salt Lake City, Utah 84180.] If you don’t know what to write, go to the metmaniac website for some sample letters as well as links with addresses for every suggestion listed here.
2) Write a letter to a WGMS advertiser that you patronize.
The list is included at the end of this piece. If you don’t know what to write, we have samples on the website.
3) Get five opera-loving friends to write letters.
They are free to use the sample letters, add to or subtract from them, or sign them as their own.
4) Get five non opera-loving friends to write.
These are friends who, while not fans of vocal music, are disturbed by WGMS’ decision to eliminate one of the world’s great musical institutions from the airwaves.
5) Tell anyone who will listen what WGMS has done, and urge them to stop listening to the station.
6) Join our overall effort to bring live opera back to D.C.
Classical Singers! Let’s join in this effort to get opera back on the radio in D.C. I know that thousands of you are reading this via email or the magazine. Can you imagine the impact if you will make your voice known? Radio stations around the country would think twice about removing opera once the D.C. station and its advertisers get an avalanche of negative feedback.
WGMS ADVERTISERS
(PARTIAL LIST)
S.A.S. AIRLINES
BETHESDA ROW
LUFTHANSA
NUVIM
BMW OF NORTH AMERICA
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
MUSIC BOX CENTER
COUNTRY BOY ANTIQUE SHOP
FANNIE MAE
THRIFTY RENT-A-CAR
WASHINGTON CHAMBER SYMPHONY
VERMONT TEDDY BEARS
HOME DEPOT
THE YELLOW BOOK
LILY PONDS
PRIVATE M.I.
UPN – CHANNEL 20
WASHINGTON FLYER
BANK OF AMERICA
CENTRACON SYSTEM (TERMITE CONTROL)
THE KENNEDY CENTER
WOLF TRAP
BRANCH BANK AND TRUST
SMITHSONIAN ASSOCIATES
STUDIO THEATER
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
WINTERGREEN RESORT
HERB GORDON MERCEDES-VOLVO
BBQ GALORE
SONY PICTURES
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
QVC
BROOKGOVE ASSISTED LIVING
PHILLIP MORRIS
REMAX REALTY
TRAVELOCITY.COM
CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING
NEWSEUM
WPAS
COLES
SMOOTH OPERATOR
MATTRESS LAND
WINCHESTER HOMES
DRESS BARN
SAAB
TIDEWATER INN
SCOTTS TURFBUILDER
BAYER ADVANCED WEEDKILLER
JIM COLEMAN INFINITY
MERRYFIELD GARDENS
TOYOTA
BULOVA
AMERITELL
