Format flips make Temple U. radio station a little less jazzy

Format flips among several Philadelphia radio stations are sending ripples through the crowded radio market here, carrying some added impact for commercial-free stations like Penn's WXPN-FM (88.5). The only jazz station in the area, Temple University's WRTI-FM (90.1), shocked its listeners yesterday with an announcement that it would soon devote half its programming time to classical music. Temple's decision came after the new ownership of classical outlet WFLN-FM (95.7) said it would change WFLN's format, potentially leaving the city with no dedicated classical station on the air. And last night, WFLN owners Media General told local radio insiders that the station would begin playing adult contemporary hits at 6 p.m. today, under the new call sign WMAX, a reliable source in the city's music industry told The Daily Pennsylvanian. All the switches have some fans of jazz and classical wondering whether they'll be able to find enough of their favorite music on the radio. And WRTI's format change will be of particular interest for Penn, where a largely professional staff runs WXPN, with an eclectic, "adult alternative" format. Though WRTI and WXPN don't share many listeners, owning major players in the Philadelphia radio market forces administrators at both Penn and Temple to deal with similar issues. The whole saga started with a series of progressively more expensive sales of WFLN, said Vinnie Curren, general manager at WXPN. Although the classical format is profitable, it isn't profitable enough for Media General to compensate for the huge costs of acquiring the station, Curren said, adding that the radio industry has been awaiting news about the new format for weeks. When WFLN announced plans to change formats, the outgoing management offered the classical album library to WRTI, according to WRTI evening news anchor John Clark, a Temple student. WRTI hopes to increase its audience by mixing jazz with classical, Clark said, adding that the Temple students and paid staff working at WRTI will retain their positions, although the scope of some shows will be altered. Officials at WFLN radio were unavailable for comment last night. Curren said he is glad classical music will still be available in the Philadelphia market. "It'll be interesting to see whether classical music and jazz can co-exist on the same radio station," he said. For fans of both types of music, that is the key issue in the switches. Howard Gensler, co-owner of Classical Choice, a jazz and classical CD store at 38th and Walnut streets, voiced some doubts about the new arrangement. "As a classical and jazz music store, we support the efforts of WRTI, but think it is going to be difficult for the two audiences," he said. But some Penn students were excited about the move. "[The decision] actually is good because I've been having trouble finding a good classical station," College junior Ben Tauber said. He said he enjoys listening to stations in cities like Boston that play a similar mix of jazz and classical music. But Curren stressed that jazz and classical music traditionally have "completely different audiences," noting that the average jazz listener is 35 years old, while the average classical aficionado is 60 years old.