NPR audience almost double since 1998

[dalaigh lllama]

An article from the Wall Street Journal online by Sarah McBride contains a bar graph that shows an increase from @13.5 MIL listeners in 1998 to 25 MIL listeners today. (For some reason I couldn't copy the graph here).

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113772679531051643-Pt_a63TYswZPdXClpBqY8SbIua0_20070120.html?mod=blogs

I know there are several here who sometimes bemoan NPR's lack of coverage on various issues, but from where I'm at, out in the middle of Limbaugh Land, it's like water in the desert. I'm glad to see they're doing so well, especially now that Tomlinson's been forced to retrench from his conservative agenda for the time being.

Other interesting tidbits:

When Ted Koppel appeared on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" in 2002, he plugged National Public Radio to so much studio applause that host Jon Stewart cracked, "Somebody got themselves a tote bag."
<snip>
As for Mr. Koppel, who will be working primarily for the Discovery Channel, "I'm not in any danger of becoming excessively rich at the expense of NPR," he jokes. Jay Kernis, NPR's senior vice president of programming, said he made clear from the start of negotiations that public radio salaries were lower than Mr. Koppel's usual compensation.

"We said, 'You have to find somebody else who will pay you a lot of money, so we can pay you a little money,' " Mr. Kernis recalls, and Mr. Koppel concurred. "He said, 'Jay, this is not about the money.' "

[ret5hd]

1. Now if they would stop overloading their "soundbite sources"...

with Cato Institute, Heritage Foundation, etc, people.

(i don't know what they are called, but the people they interview for small soundbites on any particular subject)

[DeepModem Mom]

2. You're right -- compared to other media in red America, NPR...

is a godsend to millions. This news is encouraging.

[Angry Girl]

3. BE AWARE the right wing has taken over PBS/CPB

Haven't you noticed the huge increase in religious programs on PBS? I'm in Arizona and it seems that practically every day there's some "Journey through Jerusalem with Jesus" or equivalent thinly disguised Christian programming.

Cronyism and Secrecy Run Rampant at Corporation for Public Broadcasting

New president fills the CPB offices with partisan propagandists; Inspector General's report on political meddling by ex-chairman kept from the public.

http://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=194883&ct=1553457

New Pub-casting Chief Completes Right-Wing Coup
Big Bird will be mine

The new president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has stacked the agency's offices with propagandists and White House loyalists in a bold-faced effort to carry forward Kenneth Tomlinson's right-wing crusade against public broadcasting.

http://mediacitizen.blogspot.com/2005/10/new-pub-casting-chief-completes-right.html

CPB Report Tells Only Part of the Story
Friend of Ken

An Inspector General report released Tuesday by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting exposes a politically-motivated scheme by former chairman Kenneth Tomlinson to meddle with programming on PBS and NPR. But the report stops short of implicating the remaining leadership at the agency, and fails to reveal the extent to which the White House orchestrated Tomlinson's moves.

http://mediacitizen.blogspot.com/2005/11/cpb-report-tells-only-part-of-story.html

Bill Moyers Has His Say
Former Now host on media bias and his feud with former CPB Chairman Ken Tomlinson
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6286824

[Fla Dem]

4. I like NPR too, but, but , but what about Mara Liassion of NPR?

She is a regular panelist on Faux News Brit Hume's Special Report Show. While she isn't as right wing as the other Kool-aid drinkers on the panel, I have rarely heard her say anything supportive of the Democratic Party or negative against the repugs and Bush. She had nothing good to say about Kerry in 2004.





"Hume wraps up each program with a lively roundtable discussion featuring Mara Liasson of National Public Radio, Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard and Mort Kondracke of Roll Call."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,112935,00.html