Advertisement

Jan 24, 2006

NPR Ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin lays bare the "dibs" system by which the network's programs claim interviews with authors and musicians. Scott Simon, host of Weekend Edition Saturday, argues that the setup is unfair to weekly shows such as his.
Former Pacifica host Marc Cooper delivers a tirade against his former employer and points out that Greg Guma, recently hired as the network's executive director, has endorsed arguments that the widely accepted account of what happened on 9/11 is untrue. "Look forward, if you can, to more programming and fund-raising that would be better suited for a UFO cult than for a serious or credible political and cultural opposition," Cooper writes. Meanwhile, the g.m. of Pacifica's KPFA-FM in Berkeley has resigned. In a letter on KPFA's website, he says, "This past year has provided me with a memorable introduction to KPFA/Pacifica's complex and challenging environment." (Coverage in the Berkeley Daily Planet.)