Public Radio

[Lord Manhammer]

We are a big public radio household. It's usually on throughout the day into the early evening (when we switch to Taylor Swift) and we are supporters of both our stations: WGBH and WBUR. NPR is our main source of news. We also love many shows like Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, The World, Travel with Rick Steves, and Zorba Pastor on your Health!

Do you listen to public broadcasting and if you do, what are your favourite shows?

 

[EACarlson]

Despise it. It shouldn't exist. The government shouldn't be in the position of competing with private enterprise.

 

[bcla]

Despise it. It shouldn't exist. The government shouldn't be in the position of competing with private enterprise.

Huh? Not government owned or operated. Would still exist if all government funding was cut, but the big issue would be the smaller stations going away. Most stations get some federal funding, but the biggest are the small stations in rural regions that don't get substantial amounts of donors or sponsors and use it for transmission and purchasing programming.

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3950550-the-truth-about-nprs-funding-and-its-possible-future/​

That local stations are mandated to buy national radio programming should not be confused in any way with the idea that NPR is “government-affiliated.” It actually finds itself in a programming marketplace; local stations may have to use federal funds for national programming but they retain discretion as to whether they want to pay for “Weekend Edition” or “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!”​

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Huh? Not government owned or operated. Would still exist if all government funding was cut, but the big issue would be the smaller stations going away. Most stations get some federal funding, but the biggest are the small stations in rural regions that don't get substantial amounts of donors or sponsors and use it for transmission and purchasing programming.

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3950550-the-truth-about-nprs-funding-and-its-possible-future/​

That local stations are mandated to buy national radio programming should not be confused in any way with the idea that NPR is “government-affiliated.” It actually finds itself in a programming marketplace; local stations may have to use federal funds for national programming but they retain discretion as to whether they want to pay for “Weekend Edition” or “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!”​

This is a very good explanation. The amount that stations get from the Government is minuscule compared to the amount they get from donors and underwriters.

Despise it. It shouldn't exist. The government shouldn't be in the position of competing with private enterprise.

You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. That's not how public broadcasting works. It started in education.

 

[EACarlson]

From your own article. 30% of NPR's funding is from the government. $500,000,000 for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which shouldn't exist. How many of these stations and organizations exist without government money in any form?

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Most of NPR member stations are owned by non-profit organizations, including public school districts, colleges, and universities. NPR operates independently of any government or corporation, and has full control of its content. NPR produces and distributes both news and cultural programming. In fact, NPR/PBS has at times run afoul of the Government and other entities. One of the most important programs ever produced by PBS was Banks and the Poor which highlighted the racist practice of redlining in many cities. This is one example from a long and impactful mission.

 

[LSUmiss]

To answer the original question, yes, NPR is always on in my car. I also like wait, wait don’t tell me. I like science Friday & radio lab among others. But mostly I catch all things considered just because of schedule.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

We love public radio here. It's almost always on in the car. Even the kids are into it, and we often sit in the driveway to finish hearing something. All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Snap Judgement, Wait wait don't tell me, People's Pharmacy, Rick Steves, This American Life, On the Media, Science Friday. We usually enjoy whatever is on.

 

[SteveH]

Listened to it a lot back when I was growing up and in college in Eugene, OR. I completely stopped listening to it in 1991. I really don't care about it one way or another, but I do feel that it should be completely divested from any form of Government funding.

 

[tvguy]

I got my start at an NPR station. I no longer listen to it in Sacramento because they have lost their way. Sadly, public radio in Sacramento is a HUGE mess.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/capital-public-radio-sacramento-turmoil-18408857.php

 

[Lord Manhammer]

We love public radio here. It's almost always on in the car. Even the kids are into it, and we often sit in the driveway to finish hearing something. All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Snap Judgement, Wait wait don't tell me, People's Pharmacy, Rick Steves, This American Life, On the Media, Science Friday. We usually enjoy whatever is on.

I LOVE the People's Pharmacy. My kid and I were driving to the store one time listening to This American Life. When we parked, my kid said, "Don't turn the car off, I want to hear the rest of her story." My kid was 7. I've raised them well.

 

[bcla]

From your own article. 30% of NPR's funding is from the government. $500,000,000 for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which shouldn't exist. How many of these stations and organizations exist without government money in any form?

The majority of CPB funding goes towards TV and not radio. The opinion piece I linked doesn't say anything about 30% of NPR funding coming from CPB. I don't get where you see that. A lot of programming isn't even NPR these days. I'm thinking maybe half the national programming is not from NPR. They still require the majority of their funds to local stations be spent on national TV programming.

https://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/financials

Pretty much every station accepts some federal funding from CPB, but aggregate public radio government funding is about 10% - mostly going towards smaller stations that don't have the donor or sponsor resources that the big stations have. If CPB funding completely dried up, there would likely still be the major market stations still around as well as NPR/PRX/APM providing content. What would likely happen is the smaller regional stations couldn't afford content and possibly broadcasting expenses. Maybe some programming cuts back. But it would still exist based on the major markets.

The federal government hasn't been a majority funder of public radio (or public TV) since the 80s.

 

[bcla]

I got my start at an NPR station. I no longer listen to it in Sacramento because they have lost their way. Sadly, public radio in Sacramento is a HUGE mess.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/capital-public-radio-sacramento-turmoil-18408857.php

Yeah - I heard about the mess with that station. Did Sac State dissolve it yet?

If you really want to, you can pretty much listen to any station over the internet these days. That's one of the big worries with many smaller stations - that they'll be bypassed in favor of internet streaming.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

From your own article. 30% of NPR's funding is from the government. $500,000,000 for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which shouldn't exist. How many of these stations and organizations exist without government money in any form?

If you hate it so much, why did you post at all? Why not just move on? Trying to bring the vibe down or be intentionally contrarian?

 

[bcla]

To answer the original question, yes, NPR is always on in my car. I also like wait, wait don’t tell me. I like science Friday & radio lab among others. But mostly I catch all things considered just because of schedule.

That's not all NPR though. The two programs you mentioned aren't NPR. Science Friday separated from NPR after Talk of the Nation was cancelled. Radiolab has always been distributed through PRX.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

That's not all NPR though. The two programs you mentioned aren't NPR. Science Friday separated from NPR after Talk of the Nation was cancelled. Radiolab has always been distributed through PRX.

You are technically correct, however I was mainly asking about public radio in general. I didn't expect many people to know the nuances! Bravo on your public radio nerdiness!!!

 

[LSUmiss]

That's not all NPR though. The two programs you mentioned aren't NPR. Science Friday separated from NPR after Talk of the Nation was cancelled. Radiolab has always been distributed through PRX.

Yes I know. I meant public radio.

 

[bcla]

You are technically correct, however I was mainly asking about public radio in general. I didn't expect many people to know the nuances! Bravo on your public radio nerdiness!!!

It should be pretty obvious since they mention the programming distributor at the beginning and/or end of each program. Some even make it very dramatic, like how Glynn Washington finishes each airing of Snap Judgement.

This is P....R...X!

I believe a lot of programming has jumped ship before. Even when they stay at the same production station.

 

[tvguy]

Yeah - I heard about the mess with that station. Did Sac State dissolve it yet?

If you really want to, you can pretty much listen to any station over the internet these days. That's one of the big worries with many smaller stations - that they'll be bypassed in favor of internet streaming.

They program seven stations actually, including the one I got my start at. Two individual stations and five others that simulcast programing.
I just can't get my arms around this situation. I know a couple of the Board Members, I know a couple of the managers, and all are good people. How did this happen?
I was surprised 6 or 7 years ago when they announced plans to move off campus and to a downtown location. I thought it would make is harder for students to work there. Then all this broke 6 months ago and I was appalled to find that these University owned radio stations did not have a single student working at them. That's why these stations exist and why the Universities have them.

 

[bcla]

Yes I know. I meant public radio.

Just nerding out.