NPR is changing it's name

It will now go by the name NPR.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/07/AR2010070704578.html?hpid=moreheadlines

National Public Radio is changing its name to NPR Network NewsX Profile

Thursday, July 8, 2010

No need for formalities here: National Public Radio now says it wants to be known simply as NPR.

So the Washington-based organization has quietly changed its name to its familiar initials. Much like the corporate names KFC or AT&T, the initials now stand for the initials.

NPR says it's abbreviating the name it has used since its debut in 1971 because it's more than radio these days. Its news, music and informational programming is heard over a variety of digital devices that aren't radios; it also operates news and music Web sites.

Hence: "NPR is more modern, streamlined," says Vivian Schiller, NPR's chief executive. She points to other "re-brandings" by media organizations, such as Cable News Network, which has been plain old CNN for years.

NPR hasn't formally announced the change. But it has told its staff and some 900 affiliated stations in recent months to use only the initials on the air or online.

There's a little bit of tension in those three initials. NPR's affiliates, which contribute about 40 percent of NPR's $154 million operating budget, are still primarily in the radio business. Some station managers have grumbled that NPR has invested in digital operations at the expense of more and better radio programs.

The Public Broadcasting Service, NPR's public TV counterpart, still officially refers to itself by its full name, according to a PBS spokeswoman.

-- Paul Farhi

"National Propaganda Radio."

boring, I pass the office two nites a week on my way home - I'm getting more and more distant from politics by the years, so I steer clear of NPR. still listen to BBC for the pop music only. those employees that are whining should try working for XM, also here, they are apparently awful to work for.

Dr. Hess wrote: "National Propaganda Radio."

Really did you hear Fix News? Oh I am sorry I mean Fox News.

Don't kid yourself people. It's ALL propaganda.

You know, 15 years ago BG&E (Baltimore Gas & Electric) spent something like $10 million to change their name to "BGE" without the ampersand character. i wonder what this will cost?

Will NPR continue to to defend my right to refer to them as "National Public Radio"?

96DXCivic wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: "National Propaganda Radio."

Really did you hear Fix News? Oh I am sorry I mean Fox News.

The one that really grates on my nerves is when people say Faux News. You don't pronounce "Faux" like "Fox," you pronounce it like "Fo." If you said it the right way - "Fo News" - no one would know what the hell you are talking about because it doesn't sound like "Fox News" at all. Insults don't have the same effect when they reveal the insulter's ignorance

I'm not calling you ignorant, or addressing your post at all. It just reminded me of something that grinds my gears.

What ever they call it, still my favourite radio station. It's on my shop radio right now.

They just had a great show on Carol King and James Taylor(on All Things Considered) and an excellent in-depth show on World Cafe with Holly Miranda

Also a big fan of Ira Flatow, Diane Rehm and Terry Gross.

And even though I'm not really a Sinatra fan, I really like Jonathan Schwartz's Sunday show.

Car Talk is a goof, but I do find it entertaining.

Finally, NPR actually has an independent ombudsman that provides regular and often critical reviews.......I'm pretty sure that concept wouldn't even occur to many of the folks who run the AM talk-radio channels.

As long as they keep playing A Prairie Home Companion, I'm happy.

As long as they keep playing Click N Clack I'm happy. Don't drive like my brother!

I'm with y'all. They can call it Willie Wonka's Magic Chocolate Box (WMCB), as long as I can hear Car Talk and Prairie Home on Saturdays.

aeronca65t wrote: Finally, NPR actually has an independent ombudsman that provides regular and often critical reviews.......I'm pretty sure that concept wouldn't even occur to many of the folks who run the AM talk-radio channels.

AM talk-radio hosts aren't funded by tax revenues and thusly are not operating under the pretense as unbiased news sources. Too bad the same cannot be said about most any other MSM entity.

NPR is a whole different matter. BTW, NPR has existed since 1970, but took 30yrs before instituting the position of ombudsman. It's hard to erase a bad image, a task made more difficult when there is even a hint of bias in current reporting.

There have been phases of my life where I have listened to NPR. They do have some intelligent programming. I remember catching "The Tappet Brothers" every Saturday morning for years. They have some wonderful interviews and bring to light many matters that might otherwise go unreported.

However, now that we as a nation seem to have entered a dark period in terms of political ideology, I find the Liberal yammering to be tiresome. Maybe when the pendulum swings back the other way and I am seeking a little craziness I'll tune in NPR and see what they're talking about.

from people i've talked with about car talk i seem to be the only one who doesnt like them, though i'll freely admit the only time ive listened to them was about 30 mins maybe 4 years ago and a particularly angering clip on their website about one of the idiots ranting about cars having too much power.

basically a [stupid?] woman called in asking which transmission they should choose for their daughter's first car... a bmw z3 2.8 iirc. well they didnt answer the question, just bashed her for the car decision, then went on a rant about how they government should limit HP/weight on cars as theyre 'too fast' (specifically the basic 6cyl z3)

here's a link to her call, and i dont disagree with their advise on her car choice, just their attitude elsewhere. http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/Safety/CarsPowerKids/janet.html

here's their review of the M Roadster

We cannot, in good conscience, recommend this car. BMW M-Roadster (1999) So, we'll put our consciences aside for a moment and tell you how much fun it is! Boy, is this car fast! It's scary fast. When you step on the gas, in just about any gear, your eyeballs go to the back of your head. It's certainly one of the fastest cars we've ever driven. For that reason, it's almost useless to own one of these: there's nowhere in civilization where you can really make use of it. You'd be in danger of killing someone within about six seconds of hitting the gas pedal. The neat thing about the car is how well it handles. It really sticks to the road, and makes cornering fun. It's got fatter, lower tires than the regular Z3, and the suspension has obviously been tweaked in favor of performance too. It's also got some of the best brakes we've ever experienced. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to stop gently with them. They're so effective and sensitive that your passengers will be suing you for whiplash--if they don't get whiplash from the acceleration. On the plus side, the M Roadster does a great job with the gauges, which are surrounded by beautiful, old-fashioned chrome rings. The M Roadster is the Motorsports version of the Z3, and it lives up to that billing. It was an exciting car to drive, but unfortunately there's no legal or ethical way to make use of such a car in most of the United States of America. It's an exercise in machismo and this year's best example of testosterone poisoning.

http://www.cartalk.com/content/rant/r-rlast32.html

sure i'm probably approaching their show wrong, but that rant was my very first experience.

You guys gotta knock off listening to all those talk shows...it doesn't matter if they're liberal or conservative, they'll rot your mind.

Car Talk is neither red nor blue.. it is meant to be a humorous show, aiming at folks who have little knowledge of automotive things. For lay people, it is informative, but there is little there for a gear head.

When I was building my Neon, I did 80% of the work on Saturday afternoons, with only the radio for background companionship. Our local NPR station runs opera on Saturday afternoons, so I ended up listening to it by default (it came on after Car Talk and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me..). It got to be a regular thing, and even though I don't particularly care for opera, when I hear that "music" now, I feel a subconsious desire to grab a wrench.

We cannot, in good conscience, recommend this car. BMW M-Roadster (1999) So, we'll put our consciences aside for a moment and tell you how much fun it is! Boy, is this car fast! It's scary fast. When you step on the gas, in just about any gear, your eyeballs go to the back of your head. It's certainly one of the fastest cars we've ever driven. For that reason, it's almost useless to own one of these: there's nowhere in civilization where you can really make use of it. You'd be in danger of killing someone within about six seconds of hitting the gas pedal. The neat thing about the car is how well it handles. It really sticks to the road, and makes cornering fun. It's got fatter, lower tires than the regular Z3, and the suspension has obviously been tweaked in favor of performance too. It's also got some of the best brakes we've ever experienced. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to stop gently with them. They're so effective and sensitive that your passengers will be suing you for whiplash--if they don't get whiplash from the acceleration. On the plus side, the M Roadster does a great job with the gauges, which are surrounded by beautiful, old-fashioned chrome rings. The M Roadster is the Motorsports version of the Z3, and it lives up to that billing. It was an exciting car to drive, but unfortunately there's no legal or ethical way to make use of such a car in most of the United States of America. It's an exercise in machismo and this year's best example of testosterone poisoning.

See, that was one of the reviews that prompted me to want to buy the car.

As a note of interest: what they consider should be a peak HP/weight ratio that makes for really fun, zippy, sporty, "sane" is about what you get from a Miata or 3rd gen MR2.

my local NPR (WNCW 88.7) no longer receives any money from the state.... they lost their funding late last yr (NC has no money) so now we have fund raisers 2 times a yr instead of 1... don't listen to the news there or anywhere else on a regular basis, so the left leaning slant isn't a problem... but their music content is incredible .... Sat mornings: jazz, from 11am sat to 7pm sat: bluegrass, 7pm to mid-night (I think):blues, 6am Sun to 9am: bluegrass gospel, noon Sun to 3pm: celtic, and 3pm to 6pm: oldtime.... the weekdays are a continual mix of all the above + any and all forms of rock, reggae , alternative .... just about any thing you could want.... you never know what's coming up next

Which one of the brothers on Car Talk doesn't drive?

Salanis wrote: See, that was one of the reviews that prompted me to want to buy the car. As a note of interest: what they consider should be a peak HP/weight ratio that makes for really fun, zippy, sporty, "sane" is about what you get from a Miata or 3rd gen MR2.

dont get me totally wrong, i can see they intended some humor from that review, but when he backs up his rant with a serious letter to government representatives intending to take away my ability to buy those cars thats where i draw the line.

wouldnt surprise me either if his ratio is already exceeded by the beige camries and similar with nearly 300hp standard.

I see morons driving clapped out Corollas and Chevy Celebrities in ways that make me want to drive nothing less than a giant safety bubble. It doesn't take a lot of power to make a bad driver. In fact, it doesn't take any kind of car to make a bad driver. It's always the driver. The word scapegoat comes to mind. Scrap every "horrible, horrible life-ruining, seal-clubbing, candy-snatching" SUV, pickup and sports car and force everyone to drive economy cars and we'll get... a bunch of dangerous morons who can't drive. Golly, what a difference.

wbjones wrote: my local NPR (WNCW 88.7) no longer receives any money from the state.... they lost their funding late last yr (NC has no money) so now we have fund raisers 2 times a yr instead of 1... don't listen to the news there or anywhere else on a regular basis, so the left leaning slant isn't a problem... but their music content is incredible .... Sat mornings: jazz, from 11am sat to 7pm sat: bluegrass, 7pm to mid-night (I think):blues, 6am Sun to 9am: bluegrass gospel, noon Sun to 3pm: celtic, and 3pm to 6pm: oldtime.... the weekdays are a continual mix of all the above + any and all forms of rock, reggae , alternative .... just about any thing you could want.... you never know what's coming up next

I agree, one of the only times I'll ever hear some good bluegrass or oldtime music on my radio is for this or another segment once a week on the classical station.

I gotta move to Appalachia or something.

In reply to mtn:

The AM NPR station here in Columbus plays Bluegrass every Sat and Sunday night from 6 to midnight

You can go here: http://www.wosu.org/radio/listen-live/ and cick on the NPR News link.

Radio? Bleah.