"Fairness and balance, Mr. Brancaccio, keep it in mind." CPB Ombudsman Ken Bode chastises Now's host for lobbing "softball questions" at Craig McDonald of Texans for Public Justice, a chief critic of Rep. Tom Delay, during a Sept. 30 interview. The program, which included a report critical of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, prompted a complaint from South Carolina Republican Congressman Bob Inglis. In his Dec. 30 column examining the same edition of Now, PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler came to different conclusions.

Professionals from the fields of public radio and the performing arts will meet in New York this month for the Music & Media forum. The two-day event, staged by representatives from public radio's major networks, will focus on finding new ways to collaborate and increase audiences for jazz, classical and alternative music on the air and in performance.