WNYC Acquires WQXR; Music Programming to Expand

WNYC Acquires WQXR; Music Programming to Expand

According to WNYC’s Chief Creative Officer Dean Cappello, the acquisition of WQXR will turn the formerly commercial station into a listener-supported entity, which means that “eighteen minutes of commercials will go away and we can play longer pieces.”

Written By

Daniel J. Kushner

WNYC Radio has recently acquired the classical music station WQXR-FM from The New York Times Company. The acquisition will turn the formerly commercial station into a listener-supported entity. Subsequently, WQXR will move from 96.3 on the FM dial to 105.9. Online offerings for both stations are expected to continue. “I think the idea of WQXR as a NYC-based classical music service available to anybody in the world is actually a very exciting one,” says WNYC’s Chief Creative Officer Dean Cappello. “We can create a great destination out of that just with streaming QXR outside of the bounds of where people can hear it. I think that’s sort of job #1.”

According to Cappello, the addition of WQXR will enable WNYC to expand its programming. “To turn it into a public radio station is different from having it as a commercial radio station,” he says. “Eighteen minutes of commercials will go away, which means we can program the music differently. We can play longer pieces; we can decide to target different things for different parts of the day.”

Hosts Oscar Brand, Jonathan Schwartz, and Danny Stiles, as well as programs such as New Sounds, Soundcheck, and Spinning On Air will remain on WNYC, while Evening Music with David Garland and Terrance McKnight will be broadcast on WQXR.

Additionally, Cappello says that the changes in programming will benefit independent music that defies traditional categorization. More programming of special music events such as live concerts can be expected. A commitment to such music will not, however, be detrimental to the more traditional classical music format. “QXR has a sizable and very loyal audience,” says Cappello, “and for those people, we want to make sure we create something that is a good, strong service for them and not something that just feels like the rug’s been pulled out from underneath everybody.”