In the interest of full disclosure
In response to my post on NPR, Bjorn writes:
NPR affiliates are only partially funded by government, and many, including our own here in Knopatch, are actively seeking to get rid of all government funding. Knoxville’s NPR affiliate is hardly funded at all right now by the University. The station is almost entirely listener supported.
All NPR/PRI programming is purchased at the local level through funds raised by the stations. If a show is not popular, the station has the choice to remove it and play something else. So what you hear on a local station is not really being spoon-fed from the national level.
A good example of an independent station is WDVX, Knoxville’s world-famous bluegrass/Americana station. They can do whatever they want.
NPR stations do tend to attract the more intelligent/affluent listeners because of their programming and musical selections. Those people have a lot of money to give, and do so. Those people also like the quiet DJ who can properly pronounce all the German/Russian/whatever names too.
Anyway, many NPR affiliates survive with ZERO government funding. Our local station is working towards that at this very moment. It is important to realize that the local stations are not sanctioned by nor are they controlled by NPR. These stations simply broadcast selected NPR/PRI shows that listeners pay for.
I have to say that I applaud such an effort and if that effort comes to fruition, I would listen to the programs.
