March 30, 2004

• Sorta makes you wish the McWidow had left some cash to CNN too, so they in turn could toss Larry King for someone less idiotic, like say ANYONE.
• (to our overseas monkeys: bob edwards is a longtime fave newsreader on NPR, which is a public funded radio station. he has a wonderful smooth voice and relaxed delivery style. many of us wake up to his voice on our radios.)
• Whenever Bob Edwards is speaking, I picture Donald Sutherland reading the news to me each morning. And I like it.
• Still, Mr. Kernis said, moving to a format in which news hosts are roaming field reporters rather than studio-locked anchors had been discussed widely as a possible solution. And a piss-poor one. The reason they're called anchors is because they're the same everytime, the hold the show to a common point. Bob *is* our Walter Cronkite and NPR is New Coking themselves royally. This after my local station screwed the weekend programming to make the shows I like play at 10am, and adding bizarrely craptastic children's shows Sunday night. This after programming a steady 6-hour barrage of classical music all day. Pledge drive? Yeah, I'll make a pledge. . . /shaking_fist
• (overseas monkeys: there will, no doubt, be much fist-shaking in this post.)
• A reply from NPR to my fist-shaking rant: (apologies for the length - it reads like Charlie Brown's teacher, "wah wah . wah wah wah . . ") (on preview: SideDish, how did you get my picture??) March 25, 2004 Dear Morning Edition listener: My inbox at NPR is full of messages from you. The decision to change Bob Edwards' role has surprised and upset some of you. I understand that Bob has been there for you every morning, and you've come to rely on him. I write to explain the reasons for this change. I have a long history with Morning Edition and NPR, extending back almost to the beginning of the network over 30 years ago. As a founding producer of Morning Edition, I was part of the team that produced the show and individual stories with Bob every day for five years. At NPR, Bob defined the role of the studio-host, supported by a team of producers, writers and editors to bring reports that were often more topical than immediate. He has performed that role memorably. Four years ago, in response to the sudden intensification of news and the swifter pace of great and often troubling events, I initiated a wide-ranging assessment of our core programs to insure that they will meet the challenges of the new era. As millions of new listeners have come to us to understand these events and our changing world, we have recognized a new challenge for NPR: to make our programming even more timely as well as increasingly thoughtful and in-depth. Since then, we have introduced new hosts to three of our signature programs: All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, and Weekend All Things Considered. Our news programming is now stronger and deeper than even just a few years ago - more varied and richer in voices, perspectives, and scope. Critical to these programs' development has been the arrival of hosts with wide, fresh experience as NPR producers and correspondents in the field. They have reported live from near and far - from Bosnia to Baghdad, from Afghanistan to Allentown. They've reported moving, gripping stories from well beyond the walls of NPR studios. Experienced both in covering news events as they happen and in NPR's remarkable long-form radio journalism, they have brought unique freshness and spontaneity to their NPR hosting. With their leadership, we are embracing the challenges of our new era: to bring to you both context and depth as only NPR can and to do so in a way that matches the pace of news. As a Senior Correspondent, Bob will join a truly great company of his NPR colleagues: Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Noah Adams, and Juan Williams. Each has been a host in other times; each is making irreplaceable contributions to NPR today. You will continue to hear Bob, not only on Morning Edition, but also on other NPR programs. We deeply appreciate that you care so much; without passion such as yours, public radio would not succeed. Thank you for listening. Jay Kernis Senior Vice President for Programming
• (shakes fist at jay kernis)
• * shakes fist Jihad for Bob.
• Jay Kernis can go to hell and look for my missing listener contributions there. *shakes fist*
• >>As a Senior Correspondent, Bob will join a truly great company of his NPR colleagues: Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Noah Adams, and Juan Williams. Senior Correspondentville, where talented anchors go to die.
• i agree with languagehat and would like to contribute the following to NPR. *flips the bird* Bob Edwards keeps my road rage from boiling over into berserker behavior on my way to work. Think of all the victims that his dismissal will create!
• Bob *is* our Walter Cronkite and NPR is New Coking themselves royally. But wasn't New Coke the most successful advertising campaign ever? (Snopes disagrees, but what do they know?)
• I dunno. He never really did it for me. He's got a sonorous voice, sure, but at 8 in the morning, who's got the ability to care? (Okay, obviously lots of people. I'm seriously not a morning person, so anything that threatens to put me back to sleep makes me less likely to listen to it. Poor Bob was one of those threats.)
• Yeah, I've never cared for him much. It is a little strange to see NPR ignoring theior listeners though... I'd expect them to be a lot more responsive to listener demands, seeing as how that's how they get their money.
• I wish they'd keep Bob and dump that twitch Terry Gross. Now *she's* irritating, and worse than that she's often badly prepared.
• More importantly, though: who's the top NPR babe?? My vote: Mandalit del Barco. Mmm good.
• Well, they can afford to not pay attention to their listeners at the moment thanks to McWidow. Hasn't it always been the way, money breeds bad decision making? Not that I would say 'no' if I won the lottery. I'll take bad decision making over being poor. Anyways........
• Fes : I've already registered www.aminprornot.com details to follow
• Ugh, Terry Gross. Fresh Air (which I always imagine as Fresh Aire) is the bane of my evening commutes. (That, and gutless late-pm lullabies masquerading as jazz programs.)
• So they're getting rid of him because he had an ego? I think that once you reach the point of iconic status as a news anchor, you're entitled to a bit of an ego. Sheesh. Am I one of the few people who actually like Terry Gross? I think she asks interesting questions and she's never come across to me as unprepared, so I'm curious to hear examples... That Juan Williams, on the other hand... Egads! While I like some of his reporting on minority issues, his charisma forgot to show up for work. His stint on Talk of the Nation was a bleak time in NPR history.
• So they're getting rid of him because he had an ego? I think that once you reach the point of iconic status as a news anchor, you're entitled to a bit of an ego. Sheesh. Am I one of the few people who actually like Terry Gross? I think she asks interesting questions and she's never come across to me as unprepared, so I'm curious to hear examples... That Juan Williams, on the other hand... Egads! While I like some of his reporting on minority issues, his charisma forgot to show up for work. His stint on Talk of the Nation was a bleak time in NPR history.
• Ditto on Ms. Gross. Unpolished interviewer at best.
• *doh!* that's why we preview, f8x!
• I think she asks interesting questions and she's never come across to me as unprepared, so I'm curious to hear examples... To the Castle Fes archive, mi'lads! :) OK, no, other than personal opinion and a few times when I've heard her read the same question over and over again to disconcerted subjects, I don't have any *proof* that she's unprepared. Personal bias, I guess.
• It's all in the voice. Terry Gross sounds all breathy and soft, like she's a gushing teenage girl with a crush on the subject of her interview. Sometimes she does ask interesting questions, and sometimes she really blows it, like during the Bill O'Reilly interview. I'm with goetter and Fes on this one.
• I've heard Terry Gross muddle enough questions. I heard the Bill O'Reilly interview and (to my surprise) came down on Bill's side. She seemed to have no idea what to do with Gene Simmons, or the fact that she was intentionally pissing him off. She treated Hugh Hefner like a charicature (which may be understandable, but it does her no credit either). All of those guests are of a type tho, maybe that's the ticket. (on preview: agreed, ambrosia) Anyway - Bob Edwards' interviews are much smoother, interesting and the experience is like listening to two friendly people chatting. I think they're much more 'useful'.
• Dr. Zira : Two words for you regarding Terry Gross' capabilities as an interviewer : Gene Simmons. If you can, find an MP3 of it, the transcription doesn't do it justice. Her voice just exudes "I'm a serious journalist! Why isn't he taking me seriously! I'm a respected interviewer and radio personality, darn it!". When I heard it on the radio, I laught so hard I almost drove into a ditch.
• [Simmons declined to give permission for this Web site to offer audio of his interview, or sell tapes or transcripts of it.] however, this seems to indicate it's listen-able. are we derailed yet?
• My fav is Andrei Codrescu. I'd listen to him read a phone book. I'm pretty outraged that they'd treat Bob Edwards this way. It seems asinine that NPR isn't listening to its listeners.
• I truly hope NPR doesn't seriously regret this decision in a year. CBC (Canada's NPR) lost their iconic late morning 9-12 host a few years ago and has struggled to replace him ever since. They've played around with a number of hosts and formats, and although some of the ongoing material (such as the book panel) has continued to be excellent, the hosts that serve to tie it all together have in general failed to grab me.
• I love Andrei Codrescu too... have you seen his magazine, Exquisite Corpse?
• Edwards leaving is a terrible move. And why we're on the subject of NPR, will someone please strangle Michele Norris for her insisting it be pronounced "Meechele Norris"...Thanks
• Interesting perspectives, and I shall take note of them and listen for the repeated questions the next time I hear her show. I can understand Ambrosia's point about the girly voice kind of thing. I guess I always found that kind of refreshing when she was interviewing musicians or actors; I always felt that her admiration for her subjects came from having found something in her research that she could relate to and discuss on that level...then again, when she is unable to do that, she's dead in the water. I guess I've never really considered her a "serious journalist", so I felt no need to compare her to one: it would be a bit like comparing Oprah to Ted Koppel. Fascinating how this woman can engender such a wide range of like and dislike.
• Argh - so noted. What, no Sylvia Poggioli-heads out there?
• Sylvia Poggioli always sounds like she has a mouth full of oatmeal when she's reporting.
• Just wanted to get my fist-shake and Teri Gross-hate on up in here. I was always kinda "meh" on Fresh Air, and then I heard that O'Reilly interview. I watch the man's in lieu of cardio to get my heart rate going, but that interview...ugh. Sorry, I have no point. Monkey see...
• MEE-chelle. I hate self-aggrandizers.
• Bob Edward on Air America!!! WHO'S WITH ME!!!