Lola,

I agree that it is a big loss to the area. I enjoy listing to it as well, but your rant about not going to church at a Lutheran church because they have enough money if crazy. If this radio station was so great, it should have been able to make it and not feel they needed to sell.

The number 1 job as a christian is to share the love in your heart for Jesus Christ. By purchasing this station, the church is able to reach so many more folks to share the great news. If you are a christian, you should welcome the ability to reach as many people as you can.

I have also listen to Joy radio and it is a great station. Please listen with and open mind and see if you can see the good this change can make.

Sca:

The lady has every right to change churches if she disagrees with their policy. This is why we have so many branches of Christianity. The main issue is that classical broadcasting will disappear from the airwaves.

In terms of reaching more folks with the Christian message, we have dozens of religious stations and most do good at spreading the word. But I don’t know any of them who will play Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion or Handel’s Messiah. The classics also uplift the spirit.

One wonders if more will be drawn to the Lutheran Church by empty air than by classical music. I’m sure that is a judgement that the LCMS thought about this and decided it didn’t need the demographic reflected in the stations listeners. They weren’t important to the church.

I cannot get this station, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I also am a life-long LCMS Lutheran. I have supported all LCMS Ministries for all of my adult years. The present “Political” environment has nothing to do with religion or faith. The competition for the faithful is so great and the gimmicks have turned away so many. 1. This Far by Faith, a Hymn Book designed to encourage non-Lutherans, was a collosol failure, then 2. Contemporary Services, with drop down screens, guitars and Praise Choirs, and then the most egregious statement by the President and the COP, that anyone who rejects these new forms is “Sinning”, give me a break. Forget the the NEW Lutheran Study Bible. Mistakes in transcription have occurred ever sine the Bible was first translated from the Vulgate into Latin, some monk read Celebrate and wrote Celebate, and see that has done.
Go with God.

Does anyone know how to send a protest to the FCC?

I doubt that the Lutherans ever commissioned any of the classical composers or operas that were performed throughout Europe. Many Lutherans were too busy being burned at the stake in England in the 16th century to make many artistic contributions.

Ishmael,

Again, I love classical music. It is not that at all. If classical is a great idea for a station in STL, then another station will start programming it. If not, then it will not happen. The market will dictate what will happen.

Perhaps a college station like KWMU will broadcast classical music. this is done at other university sponsored stations. This is a great loss to the community. As was mentioned, the market will ultimately dictate the programming. I wish at least one station will offer this type of music.

Despite the protestations of the LCMS Board of Directors, the sale of KFUO to JOY Radio is primarily about greed. They turned down a sure $10 million from the KFUO Radio Arts Board in favor of $26 million ($ 8 million in interest over the next 10 years and a $18 million balloon payment after 10 years) from Gateway Creative Broadcasting, a group that has no visible means of support but a great faith that somehow God will provide them with the funds needed to buy the station as well as those needed to physically run the station and provide programming.

Evangelism comes not only in an in-your-face Bible-thumping format, but also in the more subtle, contemplative format of classical music. I would point out that a significant segment of classical music celebrates the glory of God. You need only look over the last 14 years of the Classic 99’s listener-voted Most Popular Classics to know this is true. It starts with the perennial #1 - Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) and goes through Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring and Sheep May Safely Graze (from his 200+ cantatas written for Lutheran church services), St. Matthew’s Passion, and B minor Mass, the Requiems of Berlioz, Brahms, Faure, Mozart and Verdi, Handel’s Messiah, and Mendelssohn Symphony #5 (Reformation - whose final movement is based on A Mighty Fortress), to name a few. Modern “classical” composers continue to compose overtly religious or spiritual music including many of the works of Rutter, Hovhaness,and Massaien, not to mention the Vespers of Rachmaninoff, the War Requiem of Britten, and the Requiem of Andrew Lloyd-Weber.

Perhaps Joy Radio should contemplate changing it’s format to classical music.

The sale of KFUO will destroy a gem that has won several Marconi awards for Classical music programming. Once it is gone I fear that all the king’s horses and all the king’s men won’t be able to bring it back again.

One wonders what the future holds for the Joy FM Conquest of Culture? Will the Art Museum be bought by them and turned into the Joy FM Christian Indoor Paintball arcade? Perhaps the Missouri Botanical Garden will become the Joy FM Christian ATV park……..Yeehaw, it’s a great day in Missouraaaaah