Remember when Bob Edwards was let go by NPR?

[rurallib]

In contrast to the Williams firing?
It was quite a while back - 2004 or so. I don't know if anyone knew why he was fired, not even Bob Edwards.
The reason given at the time seemed implausible then and implausible now. Edwards replacement has yet to fill Edwards socks let alone his shoes.

In contrast Juan Williams was let go really ineptly because he was a Fox employee whose status as an NPR employee was being exploited by FOX to give them a patina of credibility. Williams should have been fired long ago.

And I still await the day when I hear Bob Edwards back where he belongs at Morning Edition.

[ixion]

1. hmmmm.. it wasn't reported as let go...

He was made a Senior Correspondent, and then left to go to XM.

http://www.npr.org/about/press/040323.bobedwards.html


He may have been forced out, though, the NPR's recent lean to the right.

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/07/29_straumanisa_bobedwards/

[Sal Minella]

2. I read somewhere that NPR was trying to buff up its image and

asked Bob to work with a co-host on Morning Edition. Bob apparently made it very clear that he preferred working alone and didn't want to work with a co-host, and NPR made it very clear he could play by their rules or leave.

I read that somewhere on the innerwebs tubes so it must be true.

Have you tried this site:
http://www.pri.org/bob-edwards-weekend.html

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. They wanted some new people on there. Now its just a mish-mash

[StandingInLeftField]

4. Ex-NPR Vet: Age Played Into Firing of Juan Williams

I always enjoyed hearing Bob first thing in the morning, especially his weekly interviews with Red Barber. Here's his take on his firing and on Juan Williams. You may be surprised.

NBCWashington.com speaking with Bob Edwards:

"Ex-NPR vet Bob Edwards ripped into the radio network for firing Juan Williams over remarks he made on TV earlier this week and claimed his former employer is deliberately unloading its senior members.

Edwards, former "Morning Edition" host who now works as Sirius XM Radio, said he thought the firing of Williams after saying he felt uneasy when he saw passengers wearing Muslim garb on board a plane during Fox's "The O'Reilly Factor" Monday had as much to do with NPR's policy toward its senior members than political correctness.

"I think particularly senior people are vulnerable, and I know at NPR they would like to unload my generation and move on to the next,” Edwards told Niteside at the Center for Public Integrity’s 20th anniversary party at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Thursday night.

When asked if 56-year-old Williams' firing was an example of this, Edwards said: “I think they found a good excuse, and it’s a shame, but you know there are fewer jobs now unless you want to blog and hope to be an entrepreneurial type.“

More at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/niteside/NTSD-Ex-NPR-Vet-Juan-Williams--105520498.html

NPR's Jeffrey Dvorkin on the Edwards issue:

"It has been almost a year since Bob Edwards left Morning Edition.

Although their numbers are diminishing, listeners still want to know about Bob. They confess to remaining flummoxed about why he left (on April 30, 2004), and they want to know where he is now and whether Morning Edition is really much the better for his leaving.

I think it's time to invoke some closure on this issue so we all can move along."

More at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4608650

_______________________________________________________________________

Nothing to see here, move along...

Edited for additions

[KossackRealityCheck]

5. Bob Edwards was let go because of 9/11

It was all over the papers. Edwards was not just an on air personality. He was the editor. He chose what went on the air on Morning Edition and whether to go to breaking news.

When the planes hit the towers, all the stations switched to live coverage. Edwards chose to keep playing pre-taped stupid whimsical stories that he specialized in.

They waited a graceful period and then fired him. But all the newspapers said it was because of the editorial choices he made on 9/11/01.

Plus I heard from radio people he had turned into a not very nice guy who, when he traveled, demanded a fifth of Jack Daniels and two packs of Marlboros be in his hotel room.

[Sal Minella]

6. I'm not at all sure I would believe what "all the newspapers" said

about Edwards leaving NPR.

I was listening live when Bob announced the first plane had hit the WTC, and he covered events as quickly as he could determine them after the second plane hit and he realized it was an attack, not an accident. At that point, there was nothing to "go live" TO.

The TV stations who ran the same tape ten brazillion times certainly couldn't be said to be "covering the event."

As for the booze and cigarettes -- when Dick Cheney was traveling, he demanded that any room he occupied have its TV pre-tuned to Fox.

Given the choice between a guy who sucks down Jack Daniels and a guy who sucks down Faux, guess which I'd choose???

Celebrity brings its perks. Bob was celebrated because he was so damn good.

[KossackRealityCheck]

9. I was listening also

and switching from station to station. All the NY radio stations went live. Edwards announced it and went back to a taped segment. Later in the day he may have covered it, but for some time in the morning as I switched stations, every single radio station was covering it continuously except NPR. I should have said NYC papers. I remember reading the articles.

[Kolesar]

18. Hi, welcome to the Democratic Underground!

One of the largest and certainly most spirited political forums in America ... or anywhere!!

[KossackRealityCheck]

21. Thank you !

[Sanity Claws]

19. That doesn't sound right

I lived on the west coast at the time and woke at about 6:40 AM Pacific. I heard non-stop coverage of the incident on NPR. Of course I don't know what was played on air before that, but definitely within a short time after the planes hit, there was nonstop coverage.

As for the rumor of him not being a very nice guy, he is on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell. He comes across as fun and not as you depicted.

The only reason I ever heard about his termination was his age. Of course, it's illegal so it's only hinted at.

[KossackRealityCheck]

20. That was an hour after the attack started

The first plane 8:46 EST. I was wondering whether to head into Manhattan, flipping channels. For the first hour, NPR Morning Edition pretty much ignored the attack, while all the other stations covered it nonstop. Finally around the time you woke up NPR started covering it, but in NYC, after the towers collapsed, which had NPR's antenna, NPR went off the air.

So they were basically completely useless, and Bob Edwards was blamed for it because it was his decision.

[JaneQPublic]

7. How about when they fired Ketzel Levine, the gardening reporter?

She had a spot called "Talking Plants" that I enjoyed. NPR also assigned her to do an extended series of interviews of average folks coping after losing their job... and then they fired her!!!

I thought that was totally tacky.

[Sal Minella]

8. Wasn't she a cousin or some relative of Neal Simon?

I always wondered if there were questions of nepotism about her appearing on Weekend Edition, or working on NPR at all.

And yes, I loved listening to her talk about growing things.

[JaneQPublic]

10. Perhaps Scott Simon, the NPR Weekend Edition guy?

Actually, I never heard the nepotism angle, but it may be.

[Sal Minella]

11. Ha, old age trips me up again.

Scott Simon, yes. Him. The Weekend Edition guy, not the playwright.

And it's even more embarrassing when I say "Bob and Ray" when I'm trying to say "Tom and Ray." (Click and Clack, The Tappet Brothers)

http://kinescopehd.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-kings-of-early-tv-comedy-rare.html

(Try to avoid getting old, if you can.)

[JaneQPublic]

13. LOL! I have a few of those days myself. (nt)

[Kolesar]

16. I remember her Kudzu segment

Happy in Ohio, BTW

[phantom power]

12. I admit I'm missing the connexion to E/E here.

:dunce:

[XemaSab]

14. Me too

:dunce:

[Nederland]

15. Haven't you heard?

EE is the new GD...

[Kolesar]

17. Noooooooooooooooo!