NPR's Bob Edwards Last Days as Morning Anchor

[JPZenger]

From Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/entertainment/

"One week from now, these sorts of worries will no longer weigh on Bob Edwards. He'll graduate from the lobster shift, the 6 p.m. bedtimes and 1 a.m. alarms. No longer will he slip around his Arlington, Va., house, eat, grab a second cup of coffee, and drink it while driving to NPR, where his steady delivery has made it easier for people to greet the day for almost 25 years.

His reassignment at age 56 to senior correspondent, announced last month with such phrases as "natural evolution" and "changing needs of our listeners," prompted the fiercest torrent of letters in NPR's 34-year history.

Listeners complained about the timing, a half-year before Edwards' silver anniversary. They complained about the thinking, likening it to the "New Coke" debacle.

They took it personally."

[On the Road]

1. I Like Bob Edwards

but I'll withhold judgement for now. I really don't know what possessed NPR to do this. They had better get this right. BE is certainly seeing how large his devoted fan base is.

[JPZenger]

2. Should Have Added a Co-Anchor

If NPR wanted to change some things and add a west coast anchor, that's fine. They could have added a co-anchor to handle things that they thought were not Edwards' strengths. But NPR could have done it without publicly pushing Edwards out the door. He at least should have been given some time to leave gracefully. Instead he was quoted as saying "I don't know what they are going to have me do, or what my salary will be."

They also forget that Edwards was a great fundraiser for NPR. (They shouldn't crap where they eat.)

It reminds me of the way Walter Cronkite was treated. He was the most trusted person in the world (not just the most trusted journalist). CBS wanted a younger anchor, so they pushed out Cronkite prematurely - before his long-planned retirement date. They told Cronkite he would be given special privileges to handle interesting stories. But he said that he felt out of place anytime he showed up for work - he wasn't given anything to do. It was a complete waste of talents.

At first, Rather was a complete disaster, although he has gotten less worse. At first, Rather started wearing sweaters when he read the news and ended each broadcast with the word "courage." Then he was convinced someone beat him up while screaming "What's the frequency Kenneth." (which later became a REM song).

[JPZenger]

3. 23,000 signatures on Save Bob Edwards on-line Petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/nprbob/petition.html

NPR's Morning Edition is the second highest rated radio program in the U.S. after Limbaugh. It has seen major increases in audience in the last few years.

--------------
April 7, 2004
"Role of scapegoat angers a number of NPR affiliates
By TODD ACKERMAN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

The head of Houston's NPR affiliate is lashing out at his corporate bosses for saying the impetus to dump popular Morning Edition host Bob Edwards came from local stations.

KUHF-FM general manager John Proffitt disputes National Public Radio's claim that local stations were the driving force behind the decision that has generated a nationwide grass-roots protest.

"At best this is disinformation of the worst sort," Proffitt said. "A less polite person would call it a bald-faced lie."

KUHF has received more than 200 calls, e-mails and letters opposing Edwards' removal, Proffitt said Monday. Noting that more than 150 of those listeners threatened to withhold future donations because of the decision, he said NPR's "spin" that local stations wanted the change is "just throwing gasoline on the fire."

NPR announced two weeks ago that Edwards was out at Morning Edition after 24 1/2 years on the job. Some listeners suspected the change was about age -- Edwards is 56 -- but NPR officials said it was about "updating" and "refreshing" the tweedy, eclectic program, the network's flagship show.

In any case, the shake-up has ignited a firestorm at NPR. The Washington-based network has received more than 28,000 calls and e-mail messages from angry listeners and a Web site, savebobedwards.com, has generated nearly 16,000 signatures. Linda Ellerbee wrote a column suggesting that because of the decision, "some of us might be feeling too old to rummage around for our checkbooks" the next time NPR comes calling for pledges.

Jay Kernis, NPR's senior vice president for programming, and the man mainly responsible for cashiering Edwards, took the unusual step Monday of conducting an online chat to answer listeners' questions.

Kernis acknowledged NPR didn't handle the announcement with "enough sensitivity." He called it "awkward at best," but added that "it's the right decision and we don't plan to change it."

The shake-up comes as NPR is riding a wave of success. Its overall audience has grown 64 percent in the past five years, and Morning Edition's audience increased 41 percent in the same period. With its weekly audience of 13 million, Morning Edition trails only conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh for national listeners."

[Moderator]

5. JPZenger

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Thank you.

DU Moderator

[KoKo]

6. Thanks. I signed the petition, and added comments of my own. n/t

[Festivito]

4. Hmmm. NPR. Hmmm. Just prior to election '04, Hmmm.

24 & 1/2 years, not waiting for 25. Hmmmm. It's April, six months would leave him talking about election ad truthfulness, or lack thereof. Hmmmm.

Can you say: "No brainer."

[AZCat]

7. Just like the pulling of Donahue's show by MSNBC before the IrakWar(TM)

Remember how MSNBC pulled his show because they didn't want a mixed message in the runup to the war?

It sounds like the same thing: the 'librul' media run amok again.