The headlines on CNN this morning:

[TBF]

1. Ukraine's Parliament votes unanimously to remove President Viktor Yanukovych from office.

2. Venezuela's Maduro wants talks with Obama


Sigh.

[hlthe2b]

1. ???? Two very very big International stories--including one in our own hemisphere

Why should these not be headlines? I don't follow.

[2banon]

2. Woke up to NPR : some asshat Rethug (Mccain?) suggesting we need to intervene in Ukraine but not

police the world.. something to that effect.. bear in mind I woke up to these bizarre comments, which is generally the case on NPR anyway, standard fare.

[TBF]

3. That's pretty true to form -

"police the world" when there are resources we are interested in (or players we want to beat into submission).

Of course Manganese will be mined in India so perhaps we don't need it from Ukraine (http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cm/sandur-manganese-jumps-as-supreme-court-permits-mining-operations-114022100353_1.html) ... but I digress. That decision came down yesterday so McCain may not be aware yet ...

[BlueStreak]

4. NPR is giving these right-wingers lots of time to spew their garbage

I wrote a snail mail letter to the President of out local station this week complaining about exactly that. That damned Cokie Roberts went off for 2 or three minutes lying about the CBO report. That woman is worth than worthless.

[TBF]

5. I have heard that about NPR

I know it used to be a decent source but now it seems to be in the sold-out crowd with CNN. I still read a variety of sources (from Financial Times to Granma) to try to get various points of view on issues.

[2banon]

8. Coke Roberts has been doing that on NPR for decades now..

Used to be Coke and Pat Buchanan.

I noticed the changes in Clinton's first term. By the time Clinton was in his second term, I was actually doing radio with a small local NPR station. The small stations have to pay out serious $ to NPR to carry their content, and at the same time they have what's referred to as a "must carry" stipulation. In those days (if memory serves) it was roughly 30% of NPR's "news" content.. which is essentially All Things Considered and Morning Edition .. the rest of the air time grid is optional in terms of programming content.

All that to say that small local NPR stations have no say as regards to content of those "news" programming. What they do have is the power sever ties with NPR and become an independent community broadcasting station, but that requires a new broadcasting licence. Things have changed wrt to application speed and process, but in those days it was long line/time to wait for FCC approval.

NPR/PBS and especially Corporation for Public Broadcasting, has been hijacked by Rethugs/Big Business reps. And that's why these days, you never hear complaints from them wrt to Public Television/Radio funding. And that's why the content is not quite bad, slimy and tacky as Fox...it's sort of a more polite version. Your mileage may vary. That's how I see/hear them.

[BlueStreak]

9. I hope Roger AIles is picking up Cokie's NPR salary becasue

I'd hate to think a single penny of my donations are going to that woman.

I appreciate your insider's insight about NPR stations. It seems to me that local station manager needs to hear from people who are unhappy with the direction those two mainstay programs (Morning edition and All Things Considered) are headed. These managers do get together from time to time. If enough of them hear from people who are considering pulling our support, they will apply pressure to the national system. We do have an independent public station (part of a university) in our area that is an alternative.

At this point, I am still donating, but from now on, I send my check together with a letter addressed to the President of the station.

people get mobilized to protest the most outrageous ones like Rush Limbaugh. It is just as important to fight to preserve the sources that are a little more progressive.

[2banon]

10. Radio Activism...

you said:

It seems to me that local station manager needs to hear from people who are unhappy with the direction those two mainstay programs

I can't speak for your community and local NPR stations but I can report to you that managers do hear from the public all the time. Guess what their general responses are to these complaints. Give up? Tell me if you've heard this before : "We get complaints from the Left and we get complaints from the Right, that tells us we MUST be doing something right" (pun and irony is never intended).


you said:

These managers do get together from time to time.

That's correct. There are two major conferences held annually which managers along with programmers, directors, engineers, broadcasters etc (and even listeners) attend.

The last NFCB (National Federation of Community Broadcasters) was held here in San Francisco last Spring.

This is the one to go to for everything related to public radio. go to the link above and you can see their schedule/agenda for that conference and what's required to attend (for future information).

NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) is the other conference which covers the whole spectrum of broadcasting. I've never attended NAB, but I've been a recipient to a lot of stories from folks who used to attend, my impression it's like a hyped up trade show with Radio Celebrities. I think they do awards and shit too. I'm not sure. Lots of promotional swag etc. People "network" and make connections, blah blah blah.

you said:

If enough of them hear from people who are considering pulling our support, they will apply pressure to the national system

One would think so, wouldn't one?

I started out just as a volunteer for a very small community station (we were broadcasting from a portable trailer at the time) eventually hosted my own program.. during this time period I became a radio activist because of events going on with KPFA/Pacifica Radio. Pacifica was being hijacked by DLC/Corporatists, who wanted to turn Pacifica network into something akin to NPR (which was already hijacked) and in 1999 all hell broke loose, that's when I got involved in my activism. I learned a lot more about the underbelly of CPB/NPR/PBS and the political machinations than could possibly be enumerated here. There have been books on the subject.

But I don't want to discourage you from getting involved in your local community station. It will be a huge eye opener, and you might even enjoy it!

Know this: All public radio stations are required to conduct what's referred to as the Local Station board meetings which must be announced to the public and is made open to the public.

There's usually a "board of directors" or at least a Chair Person that is elected or appointed, depends on the specific stations' governance structure. Start going to these meetings...they're usually conducted once a month. Give your local station a call, or maybe it's posted on their website. but the meetings are to be announced on air. Let me know how that goes!

Hope this was helpful..

[2banon]

6. So WS is a happy camper, they've got this one covered.. n/t

[TBF]

7. All tied up with a bow on top. nt