The Biz

WPFW Upgrades Schedule

Posted by Jason Cherkis on Apr. 7, 2008, at 4:07 pm

WPFW (89.3) launched a new programming schedule yesterday. (Here’s a handy PDF you can print out). With just one day under their belt, Program Director Bobby Hill says things are going well. Sunday audiences got a taste with a huge bump in Latin music from 6 p.m. to midnight. Hill says the “phones were lit up the whole night.”

This might be a good sign for the rest of the schedule’s changes which seem partly inspired or fueled by City Paper! New segments or newish segments include a three minute comedy break [from 2:30-2:33 p.m. Monday through Friday) provided by former CP staffer Dave Nuttycombe. CP dynamo/savior/genius Sheila Reid will head up a forum on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues the second Monday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. And one of our longtime jazz critics John Murph will be spinning on Wednesdays from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The schedule is also bumping up WPFW’s progressive hip-hop hour to the 10 p.m. slot Monday through Friday. And the station has included a daily news segment from 6 to 7 p.m. each weekday that will dedicate some time to local issues.

Comments

curm April 8th, 2008
10:30 am

#1

Did you ask Bobby Hill why they made the changes? Did certain shows get more calls during fundraisers? Or was it just an aesthetic choice by Hill (and or others)? WPFW has rarely done much in advertsing or pr to alert folks to their programs, will they be trying to do so now?

“A huge bump” for Latin music? Well, Latin music djs used to be on the air Monday through Friday (2 hours a night several years ago, one hour a night lately), now they are all lumped into Sunday night. As for other programs, the Brazilian show seems to be gone, Tony Carr’s fine reggae programming is shoved into the late-night hours, the Gator’s Saturday bluesy soul show has lost an hour, and James Funk’s Saturday morning bluesy show has lost an hour. Meanwhile, the worst programmed oldies show anywhere, the Andrea Bray show, is still on for 3 hours on Saturday.

“Progressive hiphop”? More like sanctimonious djs playing dull backpacker rappers tediously imitating the ’80s. Some of these changes are good, but a little further insight into why they were made would be nice.
Cherkis April 9th, 2008
12:58 am

#2

I ran into Bobby Hill and told him about your comment. If he doesn’t respond soon, I will just get him to answer your questions!
curm April 9th, 2008
7:43 am

#3

Cool. Oh, and Andrea Bray, the hat lady, on Saturdays, is nice and friendly on the air, she just does awkward segues between Kool & the Gang ’80s hits and ’50s stuff, and she never plays any new reissues of regional soul. She seems to be just winging it. Anybody who has ever heard Mr. Fine Wine on WFMU, or Bray’s predecessor who went to XM radio, or Ron Wynn (New Haven, CT dj now in Nashville) knows what an oldies show should sound like–fun and educational with surprises.
curm April 14th, 2008
10:40 am

#4

Update. The Brazilian show will still be on, it will air on Sundays as well. When the Latin shows were on weekdays they were on for 1 1/2 hours a night for 5 years, then cut back to 1 hour a night. Now they are all on Sunday night. One of the djs told me he is happy with the change.

I’m still looking for answers regarding the Saturday daytime changes.
DJStylus April 14th, 2008
2:50 pm

#5

*looking deep into my heart to assess my personal levels of sanctimoniousness and tedium*

thanks for the helpful feedback, curm!

my backpack weighs a ton and I’m getting old.

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