WBUR

Infobox Radio Station
name = WBUR & WBUR 90.9 FM
website = [http://www.wbur.org/ www.wbur.org]
webcast = [http://www.wbur.org/listen/ Listen Live]
city = Boston, Massachusetts (FM)
West Yarmouth, Massachusetts (AM)
area = Greater Boston (FM)
Cape Cod, Massachusetts (AM)
branding = "WBUR"
slogan = "Boston's NPR News Station"
airdate = 1950
frequency = FM: 90.9 (MHz) HD Radio
AM: 1240 (kHz)
format = News/Talk
erp = FM: 12,000 watts
AM: 1,000 watts
haat = FM: 305 meters
class = FM: B
AM: C
facility_id = FM: 68241
AM: 6251
owner = Boston University

WBUR refers to one of two stations in Massachusetts, WBUR AM and FM, both owned by Boston University. It is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, Massachusetts. It produces several nationally distributed programs, including "Car Talk", "On Point", "Only a Game" and "Here and Now". It previously produced "The Connection" (which was canceled on August 5, 2005).

The station is owned by Boston University and its positioning statement is "Boston's NPR News Station." It was embroiled in a management scandal resulting in the departure of longtime station manager Jane Christo in 2004. Christo had overseen WBUR's conversion to an all-news format, and had ousted WGBH-FM from its longtime place as Boston's flagship NPR station. Despite a weaker signal than WGBH (12,000 watts to WGBH's 100,000), WBUR has been ahead of WGBH in the ratings by a substantial margin for over a decade.

WBUR carries its programming on two other stations on Cape Cod -- WCCT, 90.3 MHz in Harwich and WSDH, 91.5 MHz in Sandwich-- via local marketing agreements. In 1998, the station helped launch WRNI in Providence, Rhode Island--the first NPR station within Rhode Island's borders. It has since agreed to sell the station to a local group.

Programming

WBUR programs On Point, Only a Game and Here and Now are carried nationwide in the US on XM Radio's public radio station, XM Public Radio. The 3-minute comedy sketch program "11 Central Ave", aired on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio, was once recorded at WBUR. In total, WBUR produces more than 25 hours of its own news and programming each week that is distributed to other public radio stations, via XM satellite radio, podcasts, and streamed live on WBUR.org.

In 2007 WBUR launched Radio Boston, a new weekly radio show hosted by longtime Boston journalist David Boeri. On Sunday evenings, WBUR also broadcasts a show entitled Boston University's World of Ideas.

Music Station Era

Initially, most of WBUR-FM's staff were Boston University students and the station broadcast a number of BU sporting events. By the 1970s WBUR-FM began receiving funding from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting and became a "public radio station" with a professional staff.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the station had several jazz music and classical music programs. The disc jockeys demonstrated broad knowledge of composers, performers, and the execution of jazz, demonstrating familiarity with such matters as improvisation and shared this with listeners. [http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/68241.html] [http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-970118.html] Noteworthy jazz and classical disc jockeys:
*Dennis Boyer, classical: "FM in the PM"
*Steve Elman, jazz: "Spaces"
*Tony Cennamo, jazz: "New Morning" and subsequently, a night-time show
*James Isaacs, jazz
*Jose Masso, Latin: "Con Salsa"

Transition To News And Information

By the end of the 1980s WBUR began replacing many of its music programs with news and information programming from NPR Public Radio International and the BBC.

By the early 1990s, with the exception of "Con Salsa", WBUR had adopted an around-the-clock news and information format.

Numerous NPR member stations have since followed WBUR's lead and eliminated music programming in favor of news and information programming.

WBUR and the Middle East Conflict

Since 2001, WBUR has lost more than $1 million in contributions due to a boycott launched by donors and underwriters maintaining NPR coverage of the Middle East is biased against Israel. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201627_5.html A Beautiful Friendship?] , Washington Post, July 16, 2006] The boycott started in October, 2001, when two Boston-area businesses ended contracts: WordsWorth Books (now defunct) in Cambridge, MA, and Cognex Corp. in nearby Natick, MA. The two businesses are reportedly tied with the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), a persistent critic of NPR's coverage for almost a decade. [ [http://www.current.org/news/news0210wbur.html NPR's pro-Israel critics punish WBUR] , Current.org, June 3, 2006] CAMERA has demonstrated outside National Public Radio (NPR) stations in 33 cities in the United States.

References

External links

*FMQ|WBUR
*FML|WBUR
*FMARB|WBUR
*AMQ|WBUR
*AML|WBUR
*AMARB|WBUR
*FMQ|WCCT
*FML|WCCT
*FMARB|WCCT
*AMQ|WSDH
*AML|WSDH
*AMARB|WSDH