Writeside Review: NPR

Expanding public radio's reach, via the Net.

Public radio—the 600-plus stations that receive financial support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—has gone through major readjustments in recent years. For example, a recent New York Times story reports that federal financing now accounts for an average of 14% of public radio station budgets, down dramatically from the more than 30% received 15 years ago. Yet the Times also reports that public radio has doubled its audience in the last 10 years, to 19.7 million listeners. In the last five years, business support has increased 69%; listener support is up 68% in the same period. Public radio is obviously doing a lot of things right.

National Public Radio, with "All Things Considered" and many other programs which enjoy a strong following, has contributed significantly to public radio's resurgence. Minneapolis-based Public Radio International has been a major force as well; its programming ("Prairie Home Companion," "Marketplace," "Whad'Ya Know?") is at least the equal of NPR's (a rivalry that only benefits public radio, since most stations belong to both organizations). But NPR has probably done the most to expand public radio's reach through alternative delivery systems—including the Internet.

The NPR Web site reflects public radio's current business model, in that it receives significant funding from corporate sponsors. These companies—which include Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems and Apple Computer—are grouped on a sponsorship page; sponsors' linked banners are strategically placed at the top of other pages as well, positioning which is analogous to that provided by public radio itself. There is, of course, another close analogy with radio on this site: frequent news broadcasts, only slightly delayed from the on-air originals.

While there is much else to recommend the NPR site (including detailed programming information and an excellent news-in-depth feature), NPR is actually heard to best advantage on the RealAudio pages. Negotiating a distribution deal with RealAudio early on was a brilliant stroke on NPR's part: as the de facto audio standard on the Web, RealAudio operates a hugely popular site. NPR receives valuable exposure to this constantly growing traffic; in addition, RealAudio technology enables popular NPR programs like "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition" to be heard in their entirety while listeners browse the Web. It is a win-win arrangement, thoroughly in tune with the times.

(Editor's Note: NPR's wide range of programs can now be accessed directly from the NPR site.)

(Reviewed March 30, 1996)

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