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Final opus for WCRB?

Probably the biggest arts story in either paper today is the news that WCRB (FM 102.5) will be sold for perhaps $90 million, pretty much ensuring that the buyer will ditch the station's classical music format. In the Globe, Chris Reidy reports that Charles River Broadcasting won't identify the buyer, but that a good bet might be one of four chains that already owns multiple stations in Boston, like Clear Channel or Entercom. She also says there's some weirdness surrounding a trust created by former station owner the late Ted Jones, which station officials dismiss. In the Herald, Greg Gatlin reports that board member Herb McCord confirmed the identity of the four bidders, but Gatlin rules out Entercom and CBS/Infinity, leaving Clear Channel and Greater Media in the running. Gatlin also notes that McCord once ran Greater Media. Both papers say a new owner could put a new format on FM and keep classical airing on a digital channel. And they note that not many people are now set up for digital radio.

The morning papers

Scads of things to read today. In the Globe: The latest on the new era of Christmas music. (I'm listening to "South Park's" "What the hell child is this?" right now, in fact.) The backers of a city history museum on the Rose Kennedy Greenway say they've raised $2.25 million. A talk with New York City ballet dancer Damian Woetzel, who's dancing in the Boston Ballet's Nutcracker and studying at the Kennedy School. A review of the latest New Orleans Visiting Artists program concert at Berklee. In the Herald: The best piece on the four Boston murder victims' rap ambitions. A piece on another up-and-coming Boston rap group called, awkwardly, Awkward Landing. And another chat with Woetzel. And one on Catholic officials upset about blasphemous programming on Comedy Central. (Like, say, "South Park.")

RIP Revels founder

Scott Alarik's Globe obit on Revels founder John Langstaff is here. The Herald got one by Dan Gewertz into its print version this morning but still hasn't posted it online. Mr. Langstaff would probably prefer that you log on to the Revels site and buy some tix anyway.

Media: The horror, the horror

Maybe I'm glad I no longer commute to the Herald every day. But I fear for my friends and loved ones who do drive in from the north. Because there will be some Mad Max-level roadway carnage if plans for a giant video billboard on the north side of the TD Banknorth Garden come to fruition. Sasha Talcott wrote this morning's Globe scoop that the venue and the city are planning a 240-foot by 7-foot message strip and an 80-foot-wide, 28-foot-tall  video screen facing the Route 93, Zakim Bridge and Loop Ramp audiences. I haven't the energy this morning for a full rant against the use of technology to invade every freakin' inch of our lives with advertising. But this is perhaps inevitable. Before long every city will look like Times Square, Tokyo or "Blade Runner."

The morning papers

It didn't make the Pony Express editions I get up here in Newburyport, but the Herald's Web site reports on last night's "rap music studio massacre" in Dorchester. (The Globe site's story doesn't mention the music angle.) This on the same day Snoop Dogg's mom was in town to speak against violence. ... I can't find Dan Gewertz's Herald obit on Revels founder John Langstaff online yet. However, on the Somerville Journal site,  this piece on the Christmas Revels. But a promised obit doesn't turn up on the site there, either. If someone else finds it, email me. ...

Opera: "L'Etoile"

Opera Boston offers the city premiere of Emmanuel Chabrier's "outrageously naughty" operetta "L'Etoile" March 3, 5 and 7 at the Cutler Majestic. The production will be directed by Scott Edmiston and features the whole team from the group's 2004 production of "Nixon in China." Gil Rose conducts, and the cast will include mezzo Valerie Komar as Lazuli and soprano Heather Buck as Princess Laoula. Tix, $24-$99, at 1-800-233-3123 or at telecharge.com.

Music: Weekly concert news

Tea Party Concerts reports a third and final show has been added for Billy Joel at the Garden on Feb. 4. Tix, $39.50-$75, go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Ditto tix for George Carlin at the Wang on Feb. 25 ($39.50-$49.50). There's also a second show added for the Pogues at the Orpheum, March 15. Tix, $39.50-$59.50, go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. As usual, check teapartyconcerts.com for deets.

Ok, let's be Marxist

WBUR's Bill Marx keeps needling me for paying too much attention to the dailies and not enough to the city's many other arts-news outlets, like WBUR.org's arts coverage. He has a point, with example numero uno being a recent back-and-forth about the many critics exiting the Globe. There's also plenty of good shorter stuff, like this Debra Cash news bite on local dance maven Bruce Marks jumping into the breach in Florida. But as I've noted to Bill in the past, this ain't my day job, people. What gets posted here is what comes across my bow, not the product of a daily, exhaustive search. And BTW, feel free to support HubArts with a click on the tip jar up there on the top right. Now I've got to go make some money.

One more journalism note

R.I.P. for my friend and fellow ex-Heraldite Marc Levy's Cambridge Day newspaper after just 19 issues. According to yesterday's Globe story, he sunk $40K in savings into the project while reaping only $2,500 in ads. That wasn't what the business plan he showed me looked like, rest assured. Ironic footnote which in my narrow view says much about the state of journalism today: I'm still waiting for Editor & Publisher to respond to my pitch to do an article about his brave but perhaps crazy project.

The morning papers

Actually a couple of edgy art items from yesterday top our reading list this morning: A brilliantly written story in Globe North about the Barbie Art exhibit at Montserrat College in Beverly (left). And a page one examination of the life of Kevin McCormick, whose existence now seems to make a stack of Internet search keywords for people all around the lower-g globe, to judge by the traffic here whenever he's mentioned: MIT artist ecstasy meth wetsuit sex lab Fort Point.

Today's gizmos include word of the Boston Film Critics Awards (gay cowboys rule!), a review of the Ten's The Limit dance performance, and a nice profile of Northampton children's author Jeanne Birdsall. Also, in the Herald, a story examines the post-fire fate of the North Shore Music Theatre and finds that the conflagration may have had a salutary effect by making the community aware of what it would lose if NSMT were to disappear. The Herald also has the word on $750,000 in NEA grants going to Mass. groups.

And for those who've been following my ongoing lament about the state of Harvard Square, the Brattle, etc., click here to read about a documentary exploring the fate of another landmark there, the Tasty Diner. I was tipped to this by the arts blog on WBUR's web site, which is a good place to go if HubArts is not fufilling all of your arts-blog needs.