Listener Supported: The Culture and History of Public Radio

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction Dreams The Progressives Pioneers Public Radio Purposes Reality All Things Considered All Things Reconsidered Morning Edition Weekend Edition Performance Today Talk of the Nation Marketplace Critics Critics on the Right Critics on the Left Conclusion: The Ideas Network Bibliography

About the Author :
Jack W. Mitchell was the first producer of All Things Considered and served three times as Chair of the NPR board of directors. He is now a Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he teaches courses in public broadcasting, broadcast journalism, and mass media and society.

Review :
Mitchell takes credit for being the first employee of National Public Radio, and in this volume he provides a first-person account of NPR's creation and early history….Written in a readable, conversational style, Mitchell's book has been released at a time when funding for public broadcasting has again come under fire in Washington. Mitchell hopes to provide readers with an understanding not only of why this form of broadcasting was created but also of why the federal government should continue to support its voice in the marketplace. Highly recommended. All readers; all levels. [M]itchell's work provides a distintive look at the institution from his long-term perspective. This well-organized history is essential reading for all NPR fans and is suitable for all libraries. Jack W. Mitchell has added an insider's perspective to the substantial body of literature on public radio in the Unietd States. He usefully reviews the role of some of the pioneers of educational radio (including the BBC where he worked for a year) and what they accomplished….[t]his offers useful insight from a man present at the beginning. Jack Mitchell, public radio veteran, offers unparalleled insight into public broadcasting in his book Listener Supported: The Culture and History of Public Radio….Mitchell's book inspires a great deal of gratitude for the determined movers and shakers, employees, and advocates of NPR and the local agencies that make up our country's public radio network. Surely some of the people involved in Mitchell's account would disagree with some of his facts and viewpoints about the development and history of public radio in America. But Listener Supported is not merely a collection of anecdotes. It contains a significant number of endnotes and a large bibliography section. It is written in a conversational style and is very easy to read. Mitchell obviously is a fan of public radio and a true believer in its value to society. [A]n inside account of NPR's rise and programming. A one time Wisconsin public broadcaster (and later faculty member at the University of Wisconsin), Mitchell draws on his own long experience (he was the first producer of All Things Considered and later served as chair of NPR's board) and that of others to tell this story….[p]rovides a useful record of an increasingly central public institution. In an enlightening way, he tracks NPR's mission back to the Progressive era of the early 20th century and the movement to create nonprofit newspapers free of the corrupting influences of 'commercialism'….[M]itchell's is a valuable history of how and why so much talent assembled down on the left end of the FM dial. Mitchell, the first producer of the National Public Radio program All Things Considered offers a behind-the-scenes look at how public radio evolved from being funded by the government to being supported by listeners. Chronicling the progressive movement, Mitchell details the early days, when pioneers were able to sneak into public broadcast legislation provisions to promote public radio….A revealing look at a respected national institution.