In the Arts: Public WNYC Buys Station, Van Cliburn Foundation Chief Retires
July 15, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
WNYC, the country’s largest public radio station, has purchased WQXR-FM from The New York Times and will convert it into a listener-supported outlet, the Times reports. The deal, which also involved commercial broadcaster Univision, preserves WQXR’s classical-music format. WNYC has begun a $15-million fund-raising campaign to cover the purchase and related costs.
The shift could raise concerns for institutions like the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, which rely on WQXR for exposure but now may find it competing for the depleted pool of charitable dollars for the arts, the newspaper says. WNYC chief Laura Walker downplayed such fears, saying the station wants to “extend and expand and deepen” its ties to other classical-music institutions.
In other arts news, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says that Richard Rodzinski is stepping down as executive director of the Van Cliburn Foundation. Mr. Rodzinski’s 23-year tenure saw significant growth in the foundation’s signature event, the annual Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
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