Invisibilia
Q&A: Mohn leads NPR into ‘golden age of spoken word’
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An in-depth talk with NPR’s president about program strategy, his Spark initiative, NPR’s digital future and more.
Current (https://current.org/tag/tell-me-more/)
An in-depth talk with NPR’s president about program strategy, his Spark initiative, NPR’s digital future and more.
We asked our reporters to reflect on a year’s worth of trends, events and change in public media. Here’s what stuck with us.
Plus: An Israeli show inspired by This American Life offers an English translation, and NPR’s ombud weighs in on sexism in coverage.
Plus: Prairie Home encourages listening parties, and consumers show interest in the NextRadio app.
Plus: American Experience pursues crowdfunding, Mohn appears on Tell Me More and KCPW’s CEO quits.
The cancellation of NPR’s Tell Me More is leaving pubradio program directors struggling to fill the gap left by the show, which presented diverse viewpoints that some programmers say will be difficult to replace. Program directors still have a month to come up with an hourlong replacement. Tell Me More goes off the air Aug. 1, a victim of budget cuts at NPR and its limited reach through carriage on 136 NPR stations. Its core constituency within NPR’s membership consists of stations licensed to historically black colleges and universities and other stations seeking to reach minority listeners.
Plus: Rockers tweet for #SaveWRAS.
Mike Pesca has the next hit public radio show, and it’s not on public radio. That’s a problem.
Plus: Reading Rainbow hits its fundraising goal, and a call to boycott NPR.
A mandate for a balanced budget and a drive to reduce its production commitments spurred NPR to cancel Tell Me More, one of the few remaining broadcast shows outside of its newsmagazines that the network produces itself. NPR will end the production as of Aug. 1 as part of a broader newsroom restructuring announced May 20. Twenty-eight jobs in its newsroom and library will be cut; eight of the positions are currently unfilled. Tell Me More, a weekdaily program featuring host Michel Martin and focusing on news topics related to people of color, now airs on 136 stations.
An updated version of this article was posted May 28. NPR announced today that it will cancel Tell Me More, its weekday midday show with an emphasis on news and issues relating to people of color, effective Aug. 1. The network will also eliminate 28 jobs in its newsroom and library, eight of which are currently unfilled. “Today we are announcing changes in the newsroom to ensure we remain a leader in a dynamic and intensely competitive news environment, while living within NPR’s budget,” said Margaret Low Smith, NPR’s senior v.p. for news, in a memo to staff.
Teshima Walker, executive producer of NPR’s Tell Me More, died Aug. 16 after a two-year battle with colon cancer. She was 44.
Facing an operating deficit of $2.6 million this fiscal year due to a shortfall in corporate sponsorship income, NPR is stepping up efforts to cover the gap with additional gifts, grants and underwriting. These measures are being taken rather than “cutting deep into NPR,” a spokesperson told Current last week, after the Washington Post reported that the network had considered cutting Tell Me More, the daily newsmagazine aimed at people of color. The Post’s report cited anonymous sources describing internal discussions. NPR President Gary Knell later told media outlets that there were no plans to cancel the show. NPR hit a record high in corporate sponsorship income last year but is now struggling, with a variety of factors contributing to the slowdown in sponsorship revenue.