"Intolerance" performed by the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

Classics in plain sight

A July 23 column titled “The good news in San Diego classical music” (titled "Will blind auditions make classical music appealing" online) by Garrett Harris (Classical Music) failed to mention the classical music radio station in San Diego. What, you didn’t know there was a classical music station in San Diego? Well, apparently KPBS, which operates the station, doesn’t want anyone else to know about it either. It’s a secret I accidentally discovered while scanning the monthly radio ratings several months ago. I contacted the station and suggested, at minimum, they mention this in their bi-monthly newsletter to members. Five months later, still no acknowledgement. In the latest audio ratings, KPBS-FM HD2 sub channel ranks number 28 out of 32 rated radio stations, so apparently I’m not the only one who discovered this. Classical music advocates will remember the 2018 loss of XHLNT (aka XLNT1 104.9) which morphed to rock. That station, based in Baja, suffered low ratings due to a signal which skipped over many parts of San Diego. The KPBS station carries programming from a service called Classical24.

• Robert Lerneer
• Valley Center

Moment of truth: Junior lifeguard candidates, about to jump.

In Bedford with fascists

So Ed Bedford thinks Governor Gavin Newsom is a fascist for limiting restaurants to outdoor service, referring to him as “Newsolini” (“OB’s Walking On Water Cafe: Sinkers and seagulls,” Tin Fork, July 16). That’s both juvenile and disgusting, right up there with people who call public officials Nazis for requiring wearing masks in public places. Bedford has no idea what actual fascism is. Many San Diego residents (me included) have had family murdered by actual fascist regimes or forced to hide for years to avoid being murdered. If Bedford and the Reader don’t see a difference, there’s something seriously wrong with your view of the world.

• Cary Lowe
• Point Loma