History Creator / NPR

* ''On the Media'' -- Pretty much a 'week in review' show which examines the news media in all forms, along with content distribution and a variety of other topics. Hosted by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone and distributed by NPR from WNYC. Their in-depth analysis of ''how'' news is covered led to the creation of the [[https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm/projects/breaking-news-consumers-handbook Breaking News Consumers Handbooks,]] created initially in response to the Navy Yard mass shooting, and now expanded into numerous editions for different types of emergencies and situations. [[https://www.wnyc.org/story/breaking-news-consumers-handbook-pdf/ The original can be read here.]]

Music programming on NPR is typically up to the local stations and their staff. While some do regularly play music or have some kind of music programming, others may not have any music on their airwaves at all. When music does show up, it is typically classical, opera, jazz, folk, indie rock, adult alternative, world music or from artists local to the area. Since the late 1990s, the amount of music programming on NPR affiliate stations has markedly decreased, since such stations discovered that news and talk programming brought in higher ratings and more pledge money than classical or jazz. KCRW's ''Morning Becomes Eclectic'' is considered the premier indie music showcase in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, while in UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}}, that city's WUWM goes mainly with folk and indie rock for their evening schedule. Seattle's KEXP is a rarity among NPR affiliates in that it is primarily known for its music programming, especially regularly scheduled live in-studio performances; in recent years, it has garnered significantly higher ratings than its corporate-owned, commercial competition in the alternative rock format. Indiana University-Bloomington's WFIU is another that focuses on music, primarily classical and jazz. A notable exception was WGVU-AM in Grand Rapids, Michigan, owned by Grand Valley State University, which aired rock, pop and soul oldies from the 1950s, '60s and '70s; it sadly went off the air in January 2022, due to lack of funds. Some markets have two or even three NPR stations, often with one station being primarily news and talk and the other(s) focusing on music; Ann Arbor, Michigan, for example, is served by the University of Michigan's news/talker WUOM (which also enjoys a significant listenership in Detroit, despite some of its schedule being duplicated by Wayne State University's WDET) and Eastern Michigan University's jazz/blues outlet WEMU. In other markets, one primary station may be terrestrial, typically a news and information station, while the others are HD Radio subchannels or internet streams.

* ''Radio/APrairieHomeCompanion'' / ''Live From Here''

NPR's style has been famously described by [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] as "smooth and smarmy". It sharply contrasts with the frantic style of commercial all-news stations (traffic every ten minutes!) and [[LargeHamRadio the loudmouths]] of commercial talk radio. The distinctive style of public radio personalities has become known as [[https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/fashion/npr-voice-has-taken-over-the-airwaves.html "NPR voice"]]. Politically, NPR has a reputation for a liberal bend, but that analysis is disputed. Indeed, NPR has been criticized from the left for representing elite viewpoints, alleged conservative framing of issues, relying on conservative think tanks for guests, deference to the national security establishment, alleged pro-Israel and pro-Iraq War coverage, and corporate underwriting.[[note]]The critics often refer to NPR as '''N'''ice '''P'''olite '''R'''epublicans[[/note]] Its most popular programs are the daily morning and evening news shows, ''Morning Edition'' and ''All Things Considered''; many stations fill the intervening time with other news and talk programs of local or regional interest, though some air music. Late nights either universally consist of either a music format or Creator/TheBBC's World Service.

Most NPR stations are found between 87.9 and 91.9 FM on American radio dials in what is known as the "educational band" or "left of the dial" for people who still use radios with analog tuners. Combine that with NPR's aforementioned reputation (along with that of CollegeRadio and community radio, found in the same educational band) as a bastion of liberalism in radio, and a common stereotype is that "left of the dial" also means "left of center" (although many Christian radio stations, decidedly ''not'' liberal in programming philosophy, also occupy that portion of the FM dial). Hence, the joke in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' about that game's NPR parody PLR being "left of the dial... all the way to the left." Some NPR stations are found on frequencies outside of that range,[[note]]For example, WVGR, Michigan Radio's West Michigan affiliate (it's officially called their Grand Rapids affiliate but it's also the primary NPR broadcaster for other parts of the western region of Michigan's lower peninsula, south to around Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, also north to around Newaygo), broadcasts at 104.1 FM, while WNYC's AM station broadcasts at 93.9 FM.[[/note]] either because the college signed it on the air before the education band was set aside by the FCC, a commercial FM owner decided to donate their station to an educational organization or the public radio network had purchased a repeater station further up the band from another radio company [[note]]an example would be Rhode Island Public Radio, located at 88.7 FM, with a clearer, stronger repeater located all the way up at 102.7 FM.[[/note]]. Some stations are also on AM, though this is rare due to sound quality concerns and a higher cost of operation for an AM signal, and mainly limited to heritage stations which have been on AM for years, such as New York's WNYC (which has both AM and FM signals), WKAR in East Lansing, Michigan (also has an FM station), WILL in Urbana, Illinois (also), and WHA in Madison, Wisconsin, which is one of the oldest radio stations in the world. Some of these AM stations simulcast their programming on FM translators (in addition to their full-powered FM sister stations); WKAR, for example, is a daytime-only AM station, but its FM translator, which can broadcast 24 hours, allows its programming to be heard around the clock.

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxRgNnue-zk Has a rap tribute]].

* ''On the Media'' -- Pretty much a 'week in review' show which examines the news media in all forms, along with content distribution and a variety of other topics. Hosted by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone and distributed by NPR from WNYC. Their in-depth analysis of ''how'' news is covered led to the creation of the [[https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm/projects/breaking-news-consumers-handbook Breaking News Consumers Handbooks]], created initially in response to the Navy Yard mass shooting, and now expanded into numerous editions for different types of emergencies and situations. [[https://www.wnyc.org/story/breaking-news-consumers-handbook-pdf/ The original can be read here.]]

* ''Reveal'', created by the Center for Investigative Reporting and hosted by Al Letson (who also hosts ''State of the Re-Union''), can be heard on multiple digital platforms, partnerships, and collaborations as well as your local NPR station. [[http://www.revealnews.org Its website]] contains links to each episode with additional background information. The ''Reveal'' team specializes in blowing the lid off everything from fake charities to corporate destruction of the environment and slavery in "drug rehab" centers. They even went back and did a special hour with [[https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/the-pentagon-papers-secrets-lies-and-leaks/ Daniel Ellsberg about the 1971 Pentagon Papers scandal]].

* ''Talk of the Nation'' -- A news-discussion show, hosted by Neal Conan (and previously by people including [[Radio/ThisAmericanLife Ira Glass]], [[Creator/{{PBS}} Ray Suarez]] and [[FoxNewsLiberal Juan Williams]]). Conan discussed the day's news topics with experts, public figures and reporters, and accepted call-in and e-mail questions and comments from listeners. The number of topics and guests per show varied. ''Talk of the Nation'' was well liked because of the in-depth way it covered issues of interest to Americans of every social and economic class from every part of the country, Conan's relaxed, laid-back delivery, and especially the call-in format. On Fridays, the show became ''Talk of the Nation Science Friday'', hosted by Ira Flatow (who is known to PBS viewers as the longtime host of ''Newton's Apple'') and dealing exclusively with scientific topics. The main series ended in 2013 due to [[https://www.npr.org/2013/06/27/196282378/after-11-years-behind-the-host-mic-neal-conan-signs-off Conan leaving the network (not by his choice)]]. It was replaced by WBUR's ''Here and Now'', owing to a decision by large-scale NPR stations to have a non-interactive news magazine format in the middle of the day rather than a call-in program. Many NPR fans were infuriated both by this change and Conan's departure, seeing it as a cynical step towards NPR becoming just another commercial network. ''Science Friday'' continues to air as simply ''Science Friday''. Conan moved to Hawaii, where he now hosts ''[[https://truthpoliticsandpower.org Truth, Politics & Power]]'', created as a response to the Trump Administration. It's on a number of NPR/PRX stations and as a podcast.

* ''Tiny Desk Concerts'' -- An online video series, in which a musical artist performs a short, intimate set at ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen's desk at the NPR office[[note]]The name of the show has nothing to do with the literal size of Boilen's desk, but is a reference to Tiny Desk Unit, the new wave band he was a member of in the late 1970s[[/note]]. The show has attracted guests in a wide variety of genres, with everyone from Music/TPain to Music/{{Adele}} to Music/BlueManGroup to Music/TheNational stopping by. Although episodes are rarely aired on the radio, they are some of the most popular content that NPR produces, especially internationally. Every episode can be found on NPR's [[https://www.youtube.com/user/nprmusic/videos Youtube]] page.

* ''NPR News On-The-Hour'' -- The on-the-hour news updates broadcast over all affiliates, even if they don't broadcast the long-form news programs. These are broadcast from NPR's Washington DC home base on the hour (some air from NPR West in Culver City), though they are not heard overnight or on all weekend shows. Most affiliates follow it immediately with local news and/or weather.

* ''KEXP Sessions'' -- Hosted by KEXP DJ Cheryl Waters, these live in-studio performances by musical artists, typically independent or unsigned acts, have become the American equivalent of Radio/JohnPeel's BBC sessions. While the sessions typically only air on KEXP, they have become widely viewed on [=YouTube=].

* ''Marketplace'' -- A half-hour economics, business and financial news show, produced by American Public Media and the University of Southern California and hosted by Kai Ryssdal. Usually airs immediately after, or sometimes during, ''All Things Considered''. Notable for use of more hip and/or ironic interstitial music; "doing the numbers" (i.e. reading the the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 indexes, plus some other stuff) to very identifiable tunes[[note]]Three {{jazz}} standards -- "[[Film/GoldDiggersOf1933 We're In The Money]]" for all indexes up, "Stormy Weather" for all indexes down, "[[Music/DukeEllington It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)]]" of the situation is mixed -- plus the theme song from ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'' for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin any situation warrants it]][[/note]]; and for having more corporate sponsors than other public radio shows. Its reports tend to be more focused on broad economics than your typical business show (which tend to focus on business and finance); liberal economist and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich is a regular contributor, as is conservative writer and former UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush speechwriter David Frum. Also produces an hourlong weekend personal finance show called ''Marketplace Money'', and a short 10-minute segment called the ''Marketplace Morning Report'' that airs on some stations during ''Morning Edition'' instead of or alongside NPR's own Business News segment.

* ''Morning Edition'' -- NPR's morning news program. It is the second-most listened to radio program in the United States after ''The Radio/RushLimbaugh Show''. Almost nobody listens to both.

NPR's style has been famously described by [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] as "smooth and smarmy". It sharply contrasts with the frantic style of commercial all-news stations (traffic every ten minutes!) and [[LargeHamRadio the loudmouths]] of commercial talk radio. The distinctive style of public radio personalities has become known as [[https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/fashion/npr-voice-has-taken-over-the-airwaves.html "NPR voice"]]. Politically, NPR has a reputation for a liberal bend, but that analysis is disputed. Indeed, NPR has been criticized from the left for representing elite viewpoints, alleged conservative framing of issues, relying on conservative think tanks for guests, deference to the national security establishment, alleged pro-Israel and pro-Iraq War coverage, and corporate underwriting.[[note]]The critics often refer to NPR as '''N'''ice '''P'''olite '''R'''epublicans[[/note]] Its most popular programs are the daily morning and evening news shows, ''Morning Edition'' and ''All Things Considered''; many stations fill the intervening time with other news and talk programs of local or regional interest, though some air music. Late nights either universally consist of either a music format or Creator/{{TheBBC}}'s World Service.