Nov. 07, 2009
By Mark Washburn
Charlotte's classical-music station, Davidson College's WDAV-FM (89.9), is looking at adding a Spanish channel.
Called "Concierto," it would be broadcast on one of WDAV's HD radio channels and streamed on the Web. HD radio is a digital broadcasting service that requires a special tuner to pick up and enables radio stations to offer extra specialty channels.
"Concierto's" programming would focus on Spanish composers and performers. Ben Roe, WDAV's general manager, says that none of the three dozen classical stations in the nation offers such a service.
WDAV already has three staffers fluent in Spanish: announcers Myelita Melton, Lauren Rico and program director Frank Dominguez.
"We have some tremendous assets in-house that other stations would have a hard time duplicating," says Roe, who joined the station in 2008 after a 20-year career at National Public Radio, where he was director of music and music initiatives.
Roe says he doesn't know how big the Charlotte market would be for such a channel, but is eager to see how it would do.
"In all the years I've worked at NPR and in national arenas, everyone has always talked about launching a service to reach the Latin audience but nobody has done much about it ... There's a huge upside and the risk is relatively minimal."
Part of the upside is the possibility of national syndication of the channel, particularly to public radio stations in cities with a high Hispanic population such as Miami, San Antonio or Los Angeles.
South Carolina was No. 1 in the growth of Hispanic population from 2007 to 2008, and North Carolina was No. 2. Hispanic population is estimated at about 7 percent in each state. Nationally, Hispanics comprise about 15 percent of the population.
Launching the channel would be dependent on raising money - likely from foundations or grants - for the project. Roe is working toward an April start.
Media Movers
WCNC (Channel 36) names Corrie Harding as its news director. Harding has been director at Pittsburgh's NBC affiliate since 2005 and starts in Charlotte on Nov. 30 ... Bill White, news and program director at WBT-AM (1110), moves up to operations manager at Greater Media's Charlotte stations in the wake of general manager Rick Jackson's departure to San Diego. Carl East moves up to program director ...
Jeff Katz, who left WBT-AM about a year ago, has a new full-time gig. He's afternoon host on WFTL-AM in Fort Lauderdale-Miami ... Country star Jimmy Wayne is profiled in a Great American Country channel special 10:30 p.m. Sunday. He grew up near Bessemer City. His father abandoned him as an infant, and his mother was sent to prison when he was 13. He ended up in foster homes and lived on the streets as a runaway. In the show, he returns to Tuckaseegee Elementary School where he found the inspiration through a teacher to weather life's challenges ...
Dec. 10-13 will be this year's "Our Kids Come First Radiothon" with Jen Byrum and Jim Schafer of WLYT-FM ("Lite" 102.9) at Levine Children's Hospital. This is the 10th year of the fundraiser ...
WFAE-FM (90.7) will air five weeks of the public radio storytelling show "The Moth Radio Hour" beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday ... WHVN-AM ("Heaven Radio" 1240) has added a low-power transmitter to its new tower off Randolph Road so it can be picked up in Charlotte on the FM dial at 104.3.
Source: Charlotte Observer
By Mark Washburn
Charlotte's classical-music station, Davidson College's WDAV-FM (89.9), is looking at adding a Spanish channel.
Called "Concierto," it would be broadcast on one of WDAV's HD radio channels and streamed on the Web. HD radio is a digital broadcasting service that requires a special tuner to pick up and enables radio stations to offer extra specialty channels.
"Concierto's" programming would focus on Spanish composers and performers. Ben Roe, WDAV's general manager, says that none of the three dozen classical stations in the nation offers such a service.
WDAV already has three staffers fluent in Spanish: announcers Myelita Melton, Lauren Rico and program director Frank Dominguez.
"We have some tremendous assets in-house that other stations would have a hard time duplicating," says Roe, who joined the station in 2008 after a 20-year career at National Public Radio, where he was director of music and music initiatives.
Roe says he doesn't know how big the Charlotte market would be for such a channel, but is eager to see how it would do.
"In all the years I've worked at NPR and in national arenas, everyone has always talked about launching a service to reach the Latin audience but nobody has done much about it ... There's a huge upside and the risk is relatively minimal."
Part of the upside is the possibility of national syndication of the channel, particularly to public radio stations in cities with a high Hispanic population such as Miami, San Antonio or Los Angeles.
South Carolina was No. 1 in the growth of Hispanic population from 2007 to 2008, and North Carolina was No. 2. Hispanic population is estimated at about 7 percent in each state. Nationally, Hispanics comprise about 15 percent of the population.
Launching the channel would be dependent on raising money - likely from foundations or grants - for the project. Roe is working toward an April start.
Media Movers
WCNC (Channel 36) names Corrie Harding as its news director. Harding has been director at Pittsburgh's NBC affiliate since 2005 and starts in Charlotte on Nov. 30 ... Bill White, news and program director at WBT-AM (1110), moves up to operations manager at Greater Media's Charlotte stations in the wake of general manager Rick Jackson's departure to San Diego. Carl East moves up to program director ...
Jeff Katz, who left WBT-AM about a year ago, has a new full-time gig. He's afternoon host on WFTL-AM in Fort Lauderdale-Miami ... Country star Jimmy Wayne is profiled in a Great American Country channel special 10:30 p.m. Sunday. He grew up near Bessemer City. His father abandoned him as an infant, and his mother was sent to prison when he was 13. He ended up in foster homes and lived on the streets as a runaway. In the show, he returns to Tuckaseegee Elementary School where he found the inspiration through a teacher to weather life's challenges ...
Dec. 10-13 will be this year's "Our Kids Come First Radiothon" with Jen Byrum and Jim Schafer of WLYT-FM ("Lite" 102.9) at Levine Children's Hospital. This is the 10th year of the fundraiser ...
WFAE-FM (90.7) will air five weeks of the public radio storytelling show "The Moth Radio Hour" beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday ... WHVN-AM ("Heaven Radio" 1240) has added a low-power transmitter to its new tower off Randolph Road so it can be picked up in Charlotte on the FM dial at 104.3.
Source: Charlotte Observer
