Money Changes Everything for NPR

NY Times ^ | 3/19/6 | Jacques Steinberg

[Crackingham]

To Jay Kernis, senior vice president of programming at National Public Radio and a founding producer of "Morning Edition," the darkest moments in the network's 36-year history probably came in 1983, when it was just days away from running out of money and had to be sustained with emergency transfusions from its member stations and from federal grants.

.......

The last two years, however, have been a very different story. NPR has created nearly 70 new jobs in its newsroom, many of them for reporters on newly created beats like police and prisons, labor, international economics, the environment, technology and the media. And all this as other news organizations have been paring their staffs and scaling back their ambitions as consumers and advertisers drift away.

NPR doesn't have traditional advertising, of course, so it has always relied on the generosity of corporations (which typically receive understated acknowledgments on the air), foundations and listeners. One listener in particular is responsible for the new mood: Joan B. Kroc, the widow of Ray A. Kroc, the man who built the McDonald's chain. Just before her death in 2003, she arranged to leave NPR a gift of about $230 million. That was bigger than anyone at NPR could ever have imagined — so big that the interest alone has paid for most of those new jobs. Since the gift was announced, in November 2003, nothing at NPR has been quite the same.

"It was like Christmas and the lottery," said Mr. Kernis, who left NPR in 1987 and returned in 2001. "It was unbelievable. It was this enormous act of validation. We knew who we were. But suddenly, this outside force was saying, 'Not only are you worth it, but we want you to continue for decades doing this.' "

[tsomer]

NPR doesn't have traditional advertising, of course, so it has always relied on the generosity of corporations (which typically receive understated acknowledgments on the air), foundations and listeners.

Right. Those spots aren't advertisements.

But, don't they also get taxpayer's money?

[garyhope]

Yet even more left wing ideologues to promote and disseminate ever more left wing baloney.

[Unmarked Package]

Mr. Kernis, senior vice president of programming at NPR, needs to quit fantasizing, as many liberals are prone to do, regarding the scope of support and validation for NPR.

May I suggest he revise his remarks thusly,

"But suddenly, this outside force one woman was saying, 'Not only are you worth it, but we I want you to continue for decades doing this.' "

[ikka]

Joan Kroc should be ashamed of herself. The ultimate payback will be the repeated attacks on McDonald's and the food industry that her money will allow to be produced.

[Bret]

May we all barf while the NPR asks for more $$$$$ and contibutions are solicited? Best to let the Kroc cash be quickly absorbed by "special reports" and the whole Commie broadcast lose its volume slowly (quicker the better) into the ground. Yuck! Anyone for a "burger"?

[Sub-Driver]

as Taxpayers we should "defund" them.....

[Incorrigible]

[sms]

If they are doing so well, then they won't need to get money from the government anymore. Pull the funding on NPR...

[kittymyrib]

Are they still in the government trough, sucking up tax dollars, after this incredible bequest from Mrs. Kroc?

[elcid1970]

Filthy capitalist dollars?? I thought NPR lefties never touch the stuff!

[operation clinton cleanup]

Joan B. Kroc, the widow of Ray A. Kroc, the man who built the McDonald's chain. Just before her death in 2003, she arranged to leave NPR a gift of about $230 million.

Explains why you don't hear any stories bashing McDonald's for low wage jobs and not providing health insurance.

[Sybeck1]

Thanks alot Ronald McDonald!!

[Fawn]

"But suddenly, this outside force 'one woman' was saying, 'Not only are you worth it, but we 'I' want you to continue for decades doing this.'

EXACTLY!!!

[garyhope]

One thing I hate about PBS and NPR, etc. is their constant begging for money and about how worthwhile it all is. I like the English comedies but hate al the other left wing bias and that nasty, left wing, anti American POS Bill Moyers. What a treasonous scumbag.

[syriacus]

NPR personalities are influential, but not necessarily in the way they intend.

I left the Democratic party after watching Nina Totenberg and other liberals speak on TV during the Clarence Thomas hearings.

Their summary of the hearings did not resemble what I had observed of the hearings. When I saw what they did to Clarence Thomas, I was ashamed to be a liberal.

[elcid1970]

LOL, Moyers is not only a scumbag, but a pompous, arrogant one as well. But as to English comedies, you of course know that it's only during "Begfest" that PBS airs programming thst a large number of people actually are interested in watching.

They're itching for those capitalist greenbacks, again.

[NYCVirago]

For that reason, NPR representatives have begun active discussions with local stations about such matters as how they might share the revenues from corporate sponsorships of online programming. NPR management has also been involved in a labor dispute with unions representing some technical workers whose skills can be replicated by new technology.

This paragraph was buried on Page 3 of the story. The local public radio stations have to pay exorbitant fees to run NPR's programs. And yeah, NPR is also trying to bust a union. Sounds like typical greedy corporate tactics to me!

[garyhope]

PBS make millions of dollars in royalties from Barney and Big Bird. Their greed and hypocrisy is stunning.

[BW2221]

The Minnesota legislature is holding up funding to Minnesota Public Broadcasting until it provides a listing of all employees earning over $100k/year. It appears the chairman rakes in about $500k (salary and perks).