Television: The Kindest Cut

The New York Times's station WQXR is one of the few gentle havens in radio's jingle-jangle jungle. No giveaways, soap operas, rock'n'roll or singing commercials mar its well-mannered purr of good music, mostly classical. But as WQXR reaped prestige, it also reaped advertisers—so many, in fact, that its listeners began to complain. One of the complainants: Listener No. 1, Times Publisher Arthur Hays Sulzberger. Upshot: this season WQXR has invoked what it believes to be the first commercial cutback in broadcasting history, is eliminating all one-minute spots following sponsored programs (representing a $150,000 annual "loss"), also will carry only one brief...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!