Contrary to a myth popular in public radio, our audience is not going to die off anytime soon. The audience today is significant in size and influence and continues to grow even though Americans in general are listening to less radio than in the past. The primary audience indicators — loyalty, share and weekly cume audience — suggest there is room for even more growth. Fall 2003 AudiGraphics data show that 40 percent of all stations with an average quarter-hour audience of 2,000 or more have an average listener loyalty of less than 33.3 percent. That means that typical public radio listeners spend less than one-third of their radio listening time with their favorite public radio station.

The Cincinnati Business Courier profiles WGUC-FM.

In a Sept. 11 address to the Society of Professional Journalists, Bill Moyers looks back on his career and affirms the importance of journalism. “I approach the end of my own long run believing more strongly than ever that the quality of journalism and the quality of democracy are inextricably joined,” he says.

A Houston Chronicle editorial praises Tavis Smiley for his $1 million donation to Texas Southern University.

The New York Sun celebrates CPB’s $4.5 million subsidy of the new TV series featuring the Wall Street Journal‘s editorial writers. Journal Editorial Report debuts this Friday on many PBS stations.

NPR and PBS host Tavis Smiley gave $1 million to Houston’s Texas Southern University to support a communications school named after him, reports the Houston Chronicle. (More in USA Today. Via Romenesko.)

A Indiana broadcaster’s attempt to force timeshares with educational stations is “an affront to the taxpayers,” says a former educator in the Indianapolis Star.

Triplearadio.com interviews Judy Adams, p.d. of WDET-FM in Detroit.

Actress Susan Sarandon will host the upcoming season of Independent Lens, which begins Oct. 26 on PBS.

“Friends of mine at WDUQ, I thank you for helping me to kill my television,” writes a University of Pittsburgh student in praise of NPR. “You’ve taught me that the world continues to turn without breaking-news visuals of exploded body parts.”

Users of Audible.com can now subscribe to Public Radio International’s BBC Newshour, Brain Brew, Whad’Ya Know? and The Next Big Thing.

Citing a poor funding climate for arts programming, WGBH cancelled Art Close Up, a pared down version of its Emmy-winning series Greater Boston Arts.

WTVS President Steve Antonniotti disputes an unflattering analysis of efficiencies in public TV fundraising. The analysis by Forbes (page down) juxtaposes compensation for the highest paid pubTV station chiefs with stats measuring the fundraising efficiencies of charitable organizations. (Registration required at Forbes.com)

The Buffalo News profiles Terry Gross, whose latest compilation of interviews came out yesterday. Her guests show “how many ways there are of living an introspective, intelligent life,” she says. (Via Romenesko.)

Recent shuffling of staff at Boston’s WBUR included halving the news staff at WRNI, its Rhode Island station, according to the Providence Phoenix.