WGBH wins battle against WBUR with purchase of public-radio program distributor
By adamg - 7/27/12 - 8:15 am
Joel Brown analyzes the local context of WGBH's purchase of Public Radio International, which distributes shows such as "This American Life" and the 'BUR-produced "Here and Now."
Despite all the nice talk abut how the WGBH deal isn't going to affect [WBUR's relationship with PRI], it's impossible to believe that 'GBH won't have an inside track to get national shows like "This American Life" the next time the contract comes up. And to get their own shows syndicated. They'll all deny it now, but just watch. And if you were running WBUR, would you want to entrust your own shows to a syndicator controlled by your crosstown rival?
Comments
Hmm...
...the same WGBH who let Steve Swartz go, and cut back Eric Jackson's show, all due to "financial reasons."
Eric's ratings had fallen off
Eric's ratings had fallen off the cliff. I listened damn near every night for years, but that doesn't mean I think he should have a guaranteed-for-life job. The fall in popularity that jazz has suffered over the years is a shame, but that's not WGBH's fault. They were the ones actually putting it on the air. WERS pulled the plug years ago - and I listened to their show every day for years as well. Times change.
WBUR would do good to get Chris Lydon back radioopensource.org
WBUR would do good to get Chris Lydon back http://radioopensource.org
Get rid of the current morning WBUR call in shows' broadcasters who have little by the way of original thought and work too close from on hand press releases.
When I read the Globe headline "WGBH gets control of PRI" ....
... my first thought was, what are they planning to do with a Mexican political party?