Scratch another classical music station

K-Mozart at FM 105.1, the area's last commercial classical music station — and one of the few left in the U.S. — switches Monday morning to country music. It's actually a swap of formats between stations owned by Saul Levine, with the classical music going over to replace country on AM 1260. "After 18 years of programming classical music, which I love, it's been an agonizing thing, something we haven't done on the spur of the moment," Levine told the Times. "I really hope the classical music audience will be understanding. I sympathize with those who will be upset." KMZT revenue had dropped 80% in the past year, and country music listeners are more appealing to advertisers. "If we don't get the support we need, what can we do? We are a for-profit corporation," Levine said. Of course, country fans who were abandoned last year by KZLA will be happy about the move, and people with HD radio in their cars will still be able to pick up the classical programming on an FM channel. Times, Franklin Avenue, LAist, LARadio.com.