The "new" WRR? OK so far, no more

If you missed it, I blogged last year about the Dallas/Denton NPR station taking over management of WRR, the classical radio station for the area, owned by the city of Dallas, and also Texas' oldest radio station.

Here's a few thoughts and observations two weeks into the takeover becoming official. If I think any are good or bad, beyond just different, I'll say so.

• There are no ads, but programming is being "sponsored," just like an NPR station.
• So far, "The Trusted Lab" is a sponsor, but we're not having CBD gummies and cannabis pseudoscience shoved in our faces. 
• Bill McLaughin's "Exploring Music" is gone. Dang. In turn, he was a "dang" after Karl Haas died.
  
• Symphonic broadcast block is still there. Assume it's the same symphonies, but don't know. EDIT: Well, maybe it's not; earlier this week, I heard Matt Rogers talking between 8 and 9 p.m. during the "Dinner Concert." And, I misread one image on their slider. They're doing a "concert hall" on Mondays only and just DFW venues. I flip both ways on this; years ago, WRR didn't do the symphonic broadcasts, but they DID (IIRC) do some thematic work during the evening hours.
  
• Dunno about Peter van de Graaff. (Update that at 12:02 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 15; he is no longer being carried. The new overnight person, at least late night Saturday, is Melanie Renate from Minnesota Public Radio. She's MUCH younger; was it monetary? She's personable, but she's not as suave as Peter.) In either case, can't her playlist be fed into WRR so that the "playing now" remains current throughout the night? And, is the cancellation of the symphony broadcasts also monetary?
  
• As of right now, there are no other "thematic blocks," contra my suggestions. 
• Scratch that; there IS children's-related classical programming Saturday mornings, a great alternative to the old financial shows, and a smart one.
  
• "Pipe Dreams" has been moved to 8 a.m. Sunday, which as commenters have noted on WRR's Facebook page, is a really clueless WTF time slot. It's when Christian organists are all at church! OTOH, maybe it's seen as replacing the church services which are, fortunately, gone.
  

But, the "thematic blocks" may happen soon. WRR long-timer Kurt Rongey is back with the station, as assistant programming director, and is supposed to be at work on lineup overhaul details.

And a kudo, because this takes work. They've got their playlists for a day listed online, as in listed in advance.  (This update was Jan. 25, 10 p.m., and it was already filled out until midnight.)

Beyond sponsorships, will KERA pledge drives appear quarterly on WRR, speaking of?

That seems likely. Scott Cantrell wrote several months ago about the possibility of the takeover, including noting how much debt the station was racking up, and the struggles against online classical music. Pledge drives were mentioned. That would probably explain why most of the symphony broadcasts have been cut, and other syndicated broadcasting either cut or replaced.