Chain Public Radio

CHICAGO -- It's not your imagination: Public radio's begathons are getting shriller as nonprofit stations pitch harder to make up for dwindling dollars from foundations and the government.

But public radio's cry of poverty is more than just annoying.

The buzz at Chicago's Third Coast International Audio Festival, where producers met recently to celebrate the art of radio documentary, was how creeping commercialism is undercutting good programming. Some stations are thinking about sharing their little nests with Clear Channel, the big gorilla of commercial radio, by having the radio and billboard giant sell public radio's underwriting credits.

Stations also find themselves combining engineering and sales staffs, creating public radio chains. Then, local radio stations from across the country are also toying with the idea of a fundraising consortium.

Taken alone, each of these do not spell the end of quality public radio in America. Outsourcing, coordinating efforts and creating economies of scale are not, in themselves, evil. But what most people -- including many public radio fans -- do not understand is that many of the great national radio programs were created at local stations. And as local stations act more like chain stores, there will be less that is original and authentic on the left side of the dial.

WHYY's Fresh Air with Terry Gross began as a local program, just as the World Café came out of WXPN when it was a community station. Both programs are great successes that neither station has been able to duplicate as they remain focused on growing their numbers. The case of WHYY is particularly sad. When Fresh Air was created, the radio station had its own station manager. Now one person manages both the radio and television stations. Under his watch, the state Department of Environmental Protection was permitted to pay for the reporting of ecological news -- without any public disclosure.

Most listeners, likewise, don't know that the station's arts reporting is underwritten by the Pew Foundation. Pew's desire to promote culture -- however well-intentioned -- could conflict with a station's duty to report fully on the arts. And now WHYY's executive producer for national programming must also oversee the station's local news department.

With the prospect of generating revenue from selling WHYY's programming nationally, even a talented producer with the best intentions might be tempted to give local news short shrift. These are tough times for public broadcasting as public money for nonprofit radio dwindles to percentages in the single digits.

Unfortunately, WHYY's mission to bring each of us to the world's richest ideas seems to be increasingly focused on finding the world's most profitable ones.

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