North Carolina radio station plans to reject broadcasts of ‘inappropriate’ Met operas

North Carolina radio station WCPE said it will reject six contemporary operas scheduled for broadcast by the Metropolitan Opera, citing issues with the operas’ content.

Controversial decision: General Manager of WCPE, Deborah S. Proctor, voiced concerns with several operas due to depictions of violence and LGBTQ subject material.
* Proctor equated her decisions with wider USA debates over content in literature, but argued she isn’t banning these works, just excluding them from her station with supporting listener feedback.
* She expressed concerns about what children might hear and framed her decision as a moral one, saying, “What if one child hears this? When I stand before Jesus Christ on Judgement Day, what am I going to say?”.

Listener feedback: Proctor has sent a letter to about 10,000 of the station’s supporting members, asking for their thoughts on the proposed cancellation.
* With around 1,000 responses so far, she said that approximately 90% of responses are in favor of the move.
* She plans to collect at least 2,000 responses and use a statistician for a formal review before finalizing her decision.

Response: The decision has sparked backlash among opera lovers on social media.
* Fans argue that art lovers should have the opportunity to hear contemporary works, with some critics suggesting WCPE’s actions reflect certain societal beliefs about the role of classical music.

Details: The operas under scrutiny include works by several Black or Mexican composers, some featuring violent or adult themes, LGBTQ content, and non-biblical narratives about the birth of Jesus.
* For example, John Adams’ opera-oratorio “El Niño,” Terence Blanchard’s “Champion,” and Anthony Davis’ “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X” are included in the six being considered for rejection.

View original article on NPR

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