Farewell to KFAC

The classical radio station KFAC has been part of the living culture of this metropolis since 1931. It has been the beneficent companion of generations of Southern Californians, and the teacher of the love of classical music to generations of young people.

Its listeners are said to number around 800,000, but the inexorable laws of economics, aided by the deregulation of broadcasting and the popularity of the leveraged buyout, have killed it. The station has been sold, to be changed into a rock station. It did well financially, but the rising demand for a limited number of powerful FM stations led to an offer its owners thought they could not refuse. At its new high sales price--$55 million--it could not support its debt service with the $2 million or $3 million a year it got from its advertising. Advertising on the leading rock stations, which have more listeners, sells at a much higher rate.

KUSC, the FM station of the University of Southern California, which has a weaker signal and fewer listeners, will continue to broadcast classical music, and undoubtedly will gain a substantial increase in its audience when KFAC makes the switch to rock some time this month. The all-jazz station KKGO will add some classical music to its programming.

But at least for now Los Angeles will be the only major American city without a commercial classical music radio station. Even Bakersfield has one.

There are people who believe that Los Angeles can in fact support commercial classical music even at the current high prices of the stations here. Everyone who loves music must hope so. There is an extraordinary variety of classical music in Southern California, as the multitude of performances by symphony orchestras, opera companies, chamber groups and recitalists attest. There are music schools and music teachers and music students by the thousands and thousands. The audiences for classical music continue to grow.

But, while we all wait for some successor to appear, we can also pause briefly to say, thank you, KFAC.