WBGO cancels long standing program

Mike Schwartz · March-31st-2004, 01:05 PM

I just found out from Trombonist and bandleader Papo Vasquez that after 25 years WBGO is ending the 25 year run of the Saturday evening 9PM-12 Midnight [eastern time] "Latin Jazz Cruise" program.

This is the only program of it's kind, and seems vital, important, and a shame to lose.
I for one listened to it when I was in the NY area, and sometimes on the net.

If you would like to communicate with WBGO that you are not happy with this decision you can let them know by sending them a message:

E-Mail to www.wbgo.org
phone: [973] 624-8880
fax [973] 824-8888

makpjazz57 · April-3rd-2004, 08:31 PM

Hmmmmm. Kenny Washington is no longer doing a show on WBGO. Who is left there and worth listening to?

Marla

Il Anto · April-3rd-2004, 09:19 PM

That's a shame. I used to frequently listen to this show before I set out to wreak havoc on the town on Saturday nights.

Just what exactly are they replacing the Latin Cruise with?

Lois Gilbert · April-4th-2004, 06:05 AM

This is posted in news as well. Thanks Mike for posting it here. As a former on air person at WBGO, I truly don't understand this move. IMO, this was one of the best specialized shows on BGO along with Bob Porter's Portraits in Blue and the Brazilian show - both also canceled

Please email to WBGO, even if you're a casual listener that this is a disservice to the online listening community and the jazz community at large

Bill Barton · April-5th-2004, 01:26 AM

A sign of the times? Let's hope they don't end up sounding like KPLU!

Ron Thorne · April-5th-2004, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Barton

A sign of the times? Let's hope they don't end up sounding like KPLU!

I couldn't agree more, Bill. What used to be a fine, adventurous station has been safe, predictable and worse for several years. Even worse, they seem largely unresponsive to their listenership. Their attitude seems to be "our way or the highway".

I tried to listen to WBGO's stream for the past two days, but couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting it. Can anyone clue me in, or is it as convoluted as it seems? I know how to access streaming radio, folks. This is not rocket science, yet one of America's premiere jazz stations is not making it easy. In my case, they're not even making it possible!

That Papo Vasquez is no longer hosting his long-running latin jazz show is of great concern! I'll send them my opinion on the subject ... if I can figure out how to reach them. :-)

Mike Schwartz · April-5th-2004, 01:01 PM

Papo is/has NOT hosted the show, he simply contacted me concerning "Latin...Cruise" being silenced, exchanged a few e-mails after which I posted here.

How to contact WBGO is on the first post here...

Ron Thorne · April-6th-2004, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Schwartz

Papo is/has NOT hosted the show, he simply contacted me concerning "Latin...Cruise" being silenced, exchanged a few e-mails after which I posted here.

How to contact WBGO is on the first post here...

Thanks for the clarification, Mike. I reacted emotionally after reading your initial post late at night. I still can't figure out WBGO's streaming setup, however.

hornplayer · April-7th-2004, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makpjazz57

Hmmmmm. Kenny Washington is no longer doing a show on WBGO. Who is left there and worth listening to?

Marla

Gary Walker, Rhonda Hamilton, Michael Bourne, Sheila Anderson, Awilda Rivera, Monifa Brown, Brian Delp. For those of you who don't listen to the station, Latin Jazz is very much a part of the day to day programming of the station.

Awilda Rivera was working at the station SIX nights a week, and had been doing that for quite some time. She wanted Saturday night off. She has always played a lot of Latin Jazz, whether or not it was during that Saturday night time period.

The loss of Kenny was (imo) a big mistake, and I told them so.

I know that most of the posters here are not members of WBGO, they mostly just carp that the station doesn't play the music they like. Well, WBGO IS its MEMBERS. an annual membership costs just $50 per year -- much less than most of you pay for ONE month of cable TV. If you are a member, you have a voice. Over the past few years, the station has increased the play time of "out there" music.... and I'm sure that's because members have requested it. So, make it the station you want it to be!

We are celebrating 25 years of 24-7 Jazz this year.... somebody must be doing something right!

Mike Schwartz · April-7th-2004, 01:30 PM

Correction...KCSM is the only 24/7 jazz station in the NPR Universe

BGO interupts music for news programming...

hornplayer · April-7th-2004, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Schwartz

Correction...KCSM is the only 24/7 jazz station in the NPR Universe

BGO interupts music for news programming...

and that makes it WHAT?

Mike Schwartz · April-7th-2004, 04:08 PM

WBGO news airs at these times....

Weekday mornings at 6:04, 6:30, 7:04, 7:30, 8:04, 8:30, and 9:04AM
Weekday afternoons at 12:01, 4:30, 5:04, 5:30, 6:04 and 6:26PM
Updates from NPR (National Public Radio), top of every hour
Friday's news magazine, the WBGO Journal at 6:30PM

That's 70 times a week for the local news and traffic Mon-Fri....168 times per week for the 3 minute NPR news update at the top of every hour, and however long the Friday news magazine show is. It all adds up to many hours of non-jazz programming, hence calling BGO 24/7 jazz is inaccurate

That's FAR from the actual 24/7/365 jazz programming offered by KCSM,which has ZERO news programming...that's all...nothing to defend or read into.

Lois Gilbert · April-8th-2004, 05:33 AM

I have to make a couple of corrections to HP comments. She is correct that Awilda wanted to have weekends off and offered to tape the show or give up the hosting. BGO management instead cancelled it completely. There are about 30 latin jazz artists that the jocks are able to choose from in the daily programming ie Bobby Sanabria, Paquito, Arturo O'Farrill, Ray Baretto and several other obvious "mainstream" Latin jazz artists. But Latin Jazz Cruise originally hosted by Chico Mendoza on Sunday afternoons and then taken over by Awilda (truly the best choice) widened the scope completely including historical music and much obscure "non mainstreamed" Latin and Afro Cuban and Afro Caribbean music. The jocks are now allowed to play up to 2 of the selected list of Latin jazz oriented artists per shift.

On Monday April 12, there is the board meeting at WBGO, at which time (6 pm) anyone who is interested in attending and voicing their concern is welcome (well maybe not welcome, but should attend). I'm going to try to be there. If anyone is available, I urge you to come out to Newark and voice your concern. If you can't attend please send email.

Lois Gilbert · April-8th-2004, 07:43 PM

up

makpjazz57 · April-9th-2004, 11:49 AM

I spoke with Kenny Washington at the Vanguard recently (he was performing with Carol Sloane) and he told me it was his decision to stop doing a show on BGO so he could devote more time to performing.

Marla

hornplayer · April-9th-2004, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

I have to make a couple of corrections to HP comments. She is correct that Awilda wanted to have weekends off and offered to tape the show or give up the hosting. BGO management instead cancelled it completely. There are about 30 latin jazz artists that the jocks are able to choose from in the daily programming ie Bobby Sanabria, Paquito, Arturo O'Farrill, Ray Baretto and several other obvious "mainstream" Latin jazz artists. But Latin Jazz Cruise originally hosted by Chico Mendoza on Sunday afternoons and then taken over by Awilda (truly the best choice) widened the scope completely including historical music and much obscure "non mainstreamed" Latin and Afro Cuban and Afro Caribbean music. The jocks are now allowed to play up to 2 of the selected list of Latin jazz oriented artists per shift.

On Monday April 12, there is the board meeting at WBGO, at which time (6 pm) anyone who is interested in attending and voicing their concern is welcome (well maybe not welcome, but should attend). I'm going to try to be there. If anyone is available, I urge you to come out to Newark and voice your concern. If you can't attend please send email.

Attending the Board meeting and/or emailing is a really good idea, but truly, if you want a voice in BGO's programming, you need to give up your $50 and join. Put your money where your mouth is. Of the JC posters that I know, very few are members of BGO. I have, however, heard them gripe that the format is too straight ahead for their tastes. If you want to change it, your voice will carry a lot more clout if you're a member. And that only makes sense. Management does listen to us.

Lois Gilbert · April-10th-2004, 10:43 PM

There have been meeting with management. I talked to Dorthaan, we're having a BGO 25th reunion on April 29th. Bobby Sanabria and Ray Baretto met with the General Manager and that's when they put the rotation into effect. Dorthaan told me there have been very few phone calls or email. You don't have be a member to do either. The Latin Jazz Cruise was not cancelled because of money, but because management decided to simply discontinue it.

Pete C · April-11th-2004, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

But Latin Jazz Cruise originally hosted by Chico Mendoza on Sunday afternoons and then taken over by Awilda (truly the best choice) widened the scope completely including historical music and much obscure "non mainstreamed" Latin and Afro Cuban and Afro Caribbean music. [/B]

Lois, you're forgetting Alfredo Cruz .

Pete you are correct - the opriginal Latin show which I can not recall the name started in I believ 4 or 5 years before Alfredo came aboard as host. And Awilda was doing a Brazilian Show. Chico left Alfredo renamed it 89 and when left Awild a took over. I only knew Alfredo when he was doing production at BGO.... Thanks Peter for trying to rattle these old brains...