WUMB to Deep Six the Grateful Dead Hour

From David Gans, "The Grateful Dead Hour" producer' Facebook page:
"WUMB is planning to drop The Grateful Dead Hour after January 12. Please ask them to reconsider - and to move the show back to a more accessible time, too!"

The Grateful Dead, Kresge Plaza, MIT, Cambridge, MA May 6, 1970

The notice is accompanied by a letter from Jay Moburg, NPR affiliate WUMB's music and program director. From Cloudsurfing.gdhour.com

Hi David

I’m sorry to let you know that as of 1/12 we’re not going to be airing The Grateful Dead Hour. We need to streamline our programming for now.I’m sorry, if you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email.

Best,

Jay Moberg

WUMB Music and Program Director

David ends the cloudsurfing post with an appeal to Boston-area deadheads, "If you’d like the station to keep carrying the Grateful Dead Hour, please let them know ASAP! Send email to wumb@umb.edu"

The programming change has yet to appear on either the WUMB website nor on the "WUMB Radio Network" blog, which was last updated on May 30, 2012.

This decision to drop The Grateful Dead Hour certainly comes as no surprise. 
Reason 1. If memory serves, about 2-3 years ago the program was moved from midnight Friday to 4am Sunday, an hour only the heartiest of arts types are awake.
Reason 2. For the past 5 years or so, since WUMB drank the federal kool-aid by accepting Corporation for Public Broadcasting dollars and becoming a National Public Radio outlet (one of four in Boston, the others being WGBH, WBUR and WCRB), WUMB programming has become more and more mainstream pop AAA,. Judging by its Monday through Friday programming and its member concerts, the Grateful Dead Hour and WUMB are strange bedfellows. 

It will be interesteing to see how this plays out, what WUMB replaces the Greatful Dead Hour with. My money is on some NPR syndicated milquetoast program, such as World Cafe.
And if WUMB is cost cutting (due to its extensive network of transmitters and translators (covering from southern Maine and New Hampshire to the Quabbin Reservoir to the Cape and Islands) and high administrative salaries (according to state records, Interim Station Manager and Underwriting Patty Domeniconi will make $95,804.70 in 2013)?), what's next?

Support Down Home Music & Arhoolie

From Nina Feldman, by way of David Gans . Please forward to California friends, and note you can purchase Down Home's offerings from the web.

Now who are you going to support, a family/locally-owned business that also runs a great roots record label, or a or big box store or web business owned by a conglomerate corporation?

Down Home Music needs our support. The store has been a cultural institution since 1976; Chris Strachwitz has been producing non-commercial roots music on Arhooliedownhomemusic.com. since 1959. Down Home is currently on the endangered species list, soon to become extinct w/out our continued customer support. Open house: Discuss ways to save the store 9/5/09, 2pm, 10341 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito CA 94530 (510) 525 2129

–Nina Feldman

From Down Home's news page

2008 has been a pretty rough year for the retail music business and for Down Home Music. We unfortunately had to close our experiment at 1809 4th street in Berkeley due to escalating costs and declining sales. Our apologies to all our faithful fans and great customers. However, we're still hanging in here in El Cerrito and plan to be around as long as we can. We installed additional listening stations throughout the store and expanded our new and used LP vinyl room. We're currently working on a functional internet database so our far flung fans can still order good music and we've set up shop on EBAY for certain high end collectibles.


Whenever possible, we try and bring local live music and hot out of town acts to perform free daytime promotional gigs live in store. We advertise these events on flyers and community calendars. But the most reliable way to stay informed is to get yourself on our email list. Write us at mail@downhomemusic.com and we'll sign you up. Also don't forget to check this space for updates.

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