WMUB drops evening jazz, goes all-news

WMUB in Oxford, Ohio, is adopting an all news/talk format next week. The format switch moves longtime evening host Mama Jazz to WMUB Jazz, a 24-hour HD-2 channel and online stream, and clears evening slots for repeats of the Diane Rehm Show and Talk of the Nation. The station invited listener feedback on its Directions blog, where a couple of commenters questioned why WMUB would drop the music programs that differentiated it from Cincinnati’s WVXU, a nearby NPR News station. “By focusing our format, we believe we will increase our ability to attract and retain new listeners as well as serve the great majority of current listeners,” said Cleve Callison, WMUB g.m., in a statement. “This change thus orients us toward future growth in audience and local fundraising capacity.”