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Although I sympathize with the dismay of bluegrass fans over the programming changes at WAMU (“The Last Round-Up?” 7/20), it’s about time someone pointed out that news and entertainment listeners have gained nothing.
Initially, I wondered what a simulcast of All Things Considered with WETA accomplished, but I assumed at least we would get the second hour of Talk of the Nation back. No, instead the WAMU geniuses moved The World to 3 p.m., so we still get cheated on that front.
Furthermore, WAMU’s effort to placate bluegrass listeners during the daytime on Sundays has wrecked a formerly terrific lineup:
Weekend Edition from 10 a.m. to noon has been dropped, so the only option is to listen from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on WETA. Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, a zany accompaniment to Sunday brunch during the noon hour, has been moved to the dead zone of Saturday afternoon. The satiric quiz show WhadYa Know? seems to have vanished entirely.
On the plus side, we now get Harry Shearer’s Le Show at 10 p.m. Fridayalbeit the show from the previous weekend. This is small compensation for all the mindless schedule changes.
Bluegrass fans aren’t alone in getting mistreated by one of the most poorly run public radio affiliates in any major urban area.
Takoma Park, Md.