KUSC LETTERS : Is Love a Threat to Classical-Music Lovers?

The Deacon-KUSC article is one more reminder of how badly this once-fine station has deteriorated.

In becoming personality-oriented in an effort to avoid being “stuffy,” Smith and his colleagues have forgotten that people who love good music listen to a classical-music station for the music. Good music has spoken for itself over the centuries and needs no help from people in love with the sounds of their own voices. Pithy, cogent comment, delivered with wit and intelligence--such as we get from Jim Svejda--is always welcome, but dissertations on cooking rutabagas or a description of a drive down Sunset Boulevard are an exasperating distraction.

If the station is truly concerned about costs, there’s a very simple solution. Since the station is part of USC, employ students as announcers and pay them a reasonable stipend.

Presumably those who find KUSC’s interminable chattiness endearing will support it, but two years ago I decided to protest with the most effective tool available--my checkbook--and withdrew my support.

Boycott is an ugly word, but those dissatisfied with the station’s current format might consider taking like action when they receive their renewal notices, enclosing a letter of explanation instead of a check in the postage-paid envelope. DAVID BOWEN

Monrovia