Oregon Media Insiders

We know OPB is launching a call-in show -- that job was posted several months ago, although the show hasn't been announced yet.

I assume the new show will replace the woefully boring and east-coast-centric Here & Now, which is a poor imitation of NPR's west-coast-centric Day to Day.

I'll go out on a limb and predict the new 9 am show will be called Oregon Have Your Say, which will lead into the Beeb's World Have Your Say, then Talk of the Nation.

Stay tuned. They've decided to put more effort into long-form stories where people are listening, rather than squeezing it into a half-hour where they are not. Minnesota Public Radio has been doing this for some time.

That's my favorite program. The open music is really great

Seriously, how is this expanding coverage? Sounds like a cut-down to me.

"These, and other changes to come including a new local program – Think Out Loud, with broadcast and online components – are the result of nearly two years of research, audience surveys and strategic planning," said Holm. "The additional flexibility we've gained in our News Department will help us give voice to more people in our community than ever before."

They're not claiming poverty—and I don't think they can—they're claiming this is what we want. No news program. A talk show instead.

Really? This is what audience surveys said, that we value Oregon Considered least? That it's the #1 thing we want cut from the schedule?

So we have a locally produced music show, a locally produced variety show, and a locally produced talk show. But no local news show. No local news on TV, either.

OPB is about programming you can't get anywhere else. To me, that primarily means unsensationalized, longform news programming. And that's something that cannot "be heard at the top of every weekday hour."

But at least with public broadcasting, they don't dumb down their programming and make it more entertaining for ratings.

Couldn't we get them to do less local stuff during Morning Edition? As it is, I have to listen to it online so I can hear the entire program.

Well, that was the last straw. I am smashing my OPB coffee cup, trashing the OPB travel mug and throwing away my OPB umbrella. No more money from me. I'll spend my $100 each year somewhere else.

There was too much duplication with Oregon Considered. A lot of the stories were repeated later in the day / the next morning, so the only thing I'll miss is the swell theme music. I wish they'd at least continue packaging the stories together into a podcast.

On the other hand, when I hear a locally produced news story during ATC or Morning Edition, I always wonder what nationally-produced news piece I'm missing.

I moved here from a city with a locally-produced call-in-type show. It was very hit-or-miss, with some discussions offering delightful conversation, and some leaving me scrambling for the iPod.

is and soon will be a dreadful show. There is good work done there but....

I've frequently hear stories that are:

Too long, given the subject.

Driven by state government news releases

Lacking in curiosity

Reporters who are lackluster, rookies or both. (Not you, Colin F. and Rob M. You can stay.)

I know you can say the same thing about any news organization, but OPB never seems to have a fresh take on anything. There's a tendency to bore listeners (i.e. me) with over reporting on Washington state, Hanford, environmental issues and state agencies.

Indeed, the opening music of OC was the worst of all shows. Like a 70s or early 80s TV drama. And I agree that some of the stories were a little boring. On the other hand, Colin F. did an amazing piece a few months back during the anniversary of the flooding of Celilo Falls, complete with one of the only sound recordings left of the falls. It was engrossing to say the least and it's stuck with me ever since I heard it . . .

I loved that music. What's it called and where can I download it?

I'm not going to be happy until they get rid of April Baer. Listening to her constantly stumble and try to sound colloquial is just painful. She's not so bad when she does a story, but as a host, she's just awful.

Happy T-day OMI!!! What are you thankful for?

When I heard the opening to Oregon Considered, my heart beat faster. I looked forward to that news block. Part of it was the mix. Part of it was the disciplined, economical approach. The in-depth stories. April Baer and all the staff that shaped a great news show.

I still haven't quite forgiven OPB from axing Performance Today. Now this. What's next?

I think it's a big mistake. Long form radio (This Life, etc) is becoming increasingly popular and driving people back to radio. I really listen to radio. I turn the lights out.

I think it's great OPB is trying new formats and approaches, but I don't like what I'm hearing. Give me long form. Nobody else is.

That's is the daily mission at OPB.

While it's good to give a voice to a few people who make it through the screening process, that really isn't enough. To cut the only local daily news program (even though it left much to be desired) is not a good way to serve the listeners.

I'm surprised that only James X called out Morgan for her claim that successful stations are "those that have strong ratings and revenue from listeners," instead of the positive impact they have on their communities, or the voice they give to those traditionally shut out of the media. In my opinion, OPB (as a typical extension of the larger NPR network) is once again proving why it makes more sense to pledge to community stations who actually serve their listeners with diverse viewpoints, a wide range of voices, and plenty of local news.

I was hearing Chuck Knopf (sp?) doing the news and intros on the weekends for a while, now I'm hearing a person that goes by another name that has a strikingly similar voice. What's up?

The new voice is Rick Weisman (sp?) Heard Chuck on KPAM earlier this week. My question is: Who is "Ramon" who shows up on pledge broadcasts?

Hey Folks. What you like, and what the majority of OPB listeners like may be two differnt things. KXL no longer plays beautiful music, 910am is now a talker, and KEX has dropped the music. It is now nearly 2008, not 1986. Times change my friends and broadcasters, even OPB, have to change to survive. I for one like the changes. Oregon Considered was fine in its time. Its now outdated. Time to move on whether you like it or not.

Maybe I missed it. If the removal of "Oregon Considered" is such a good step, was it announced BEFORE the latest pledge drive?? It seems to me they waited until the pledge drive was over. Forgive me if I'm wrong. Losing the show is tragic. It was a great show and a great use of the resources of OPB. Now we have NO local newscast on either OPB TV or Radio. What a waste.

Are unreadable. They stand as proof of the lack of creativity at OPB (radio and TV)...passionless and boring.

The stories were boring. It lacked creativity and energy. It never tried anything edgy. Rarely told powerful human stories. Did it ever do an original investigative story? Ever?

I'll concede that the station may have been limited by its resources. Still, there should have been at least a couple of noteworthy stories every week.

Help me out, fan(s) of Oregon Considered. Remind me what great stuff I'll be missing. Tell me 5 really good stories OC did this year.

Morgan, can you clarify what you meant when you said "The reality is that things have changed in the way people use media." Are you referring to the internet? If so, I don't understand how replacing Oregon Considered with Think Out Loud is a proper response to this. A lot of folks have started to get their news online because of the poor reporting and lack of in-depth local coverage they get from existing TV, radio, and newspapers. We know that there are different viewpoints but we're being forced to seek them out on our own, and then discuss them among ourselves because the average person cannot get airtime on KIRO or NPR.

I don't see OPB's latest move as a solution. Yes, you'll be giving that average person an opportunity to call and throw out a few comments, but how is that different from getting a couple hundred words in a letter to the editor in the Oregonian? OPB is giving the information consumer an already existing option in a new format. This won't stop us from having to seek out the news in other places because you're still not offering it. It may even send more folks online because we won't even get a daily roundup of regional news from OC.

But then again, I may have misinterpreted your statement. Can you expand on it for us, please?

Oh, Oregon Considered was fine. It did longer and less frenetic versions of the stories that were on pretty much everyone's news agendas, minus the Brian Schmautz phone tape, all put together with jaunty fiddle music.

But it wasn't All Things Considered, not even close. That program, like much of NPR, is in a class all alone. ATC's content, talent, production values, the apparently limitless budget, and the ability to veer between insightful coverage of complex international issues to jagged-edge pop culture have no peer anywhere in American media, I'm sure, and perhaps in the world. All I'm familiar with globally is BBC, from satellite radio, and NPR kicks its ass.

Why would any NPR-delivery outlet--whether or not it recognizes that's what it is--run any programming at all in the place of All Things Considered, unless it's of the same caliber?

I hope OPB uses this change as an opportunity to focus sharply on attaining NPR-level qualities, rather than filling a daily news hole. OPB should work to recruit more staff members with NPR ambitions and skills to match, and help them get there. Some NPR people (Scott Simon, I know, firsthand) enjoy getting out to the affiliates to stage reporters' workshops. I'd love to see that happen at OPB, and I'd love to hear the results.

Thank you, OPB and Herr Holm, for shutting off news segments -- NPR, OPB, or otherwise -- when such segments are not news at all, and are all rightwing reactionary propaganda. Like, Orwellian: Truth is News, (except it's not).

[See the movie, Zeitgeist -- They must find it difficult... Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. - Gerald Massey ]

The high crime of it comes in defrauding taxpayers of their money then spent to broadcast lies, (labelled 'News,' and being false). Media-mongers and -careerists today, in the positions of yore, seem unaware that when ranking German political and military Nazis were called to justice at Nuremberg, named State media persons/celebrities were included, charged, and tried for execution, because they 'obeyed orders' broadcasting (and publishing) Nazi propaganda falsenews.

'Public' broadcasting not funded by public taxes money, and instead operating on (tax-deductible) donations from private interests and citizens, only brands those donor citizens with wearing the red swastika lapel pin for the 'news' they patronize.

And here's what's got my 'sounds extreme' language, (though it is really center-normal common sense), tart-talking tongue in a twist, TODAY: NPR aired without challenging GOP misrepresentation of CA electoral college initiative's effect, Media Matters for America, Nov. 26, 2007

Summary: Reporting on a Republican-backed California ballot initiative that would award the state's electoral votes by congressional district, NPR correspondent Ina Jaffe aired an audio clip of Republican consultant Dave Gilliard, who asserted: "We want [presidential candidates] to come out here and actually campaign throughout California. ..." In fact, California has only three congressional districts ... carried by 5 percentage points or less during the 2004 election, and thus, if the initiative passed, campaigns would presumably have little incentive "to come out here and actually campaign."

That's today's entry on the growing list of NPR news lies and propaganda broadcast slices off life, in pages of evidence starting HERE.

As long as the 'public broadcasting' rapsheet at MediaMatters(dotORG) keeps documenting State media misrepresentations, false facts, and lies, the aired programming in people's thoughts continues being Nazi-like Propaganda Republican 'news,' and any elimination of that NPR 'news,' is good news indeed.

Thank you for shutting it off while it fails journalism's standards and discredits OPB.

I'm new to Oregon, and I'm already amazed at the astounding amount of bitching about....nothing really that goes on here. This website is a good example as it seems to bring these people out of the woodwork. Good lord, do you people not have lives? One might consider your chatter an indicator that there are people who care what goes on in public radio, people who feel a sense of ownership when it comes to their public radio station, and that would be a good thing. But none of you have anything constructive to say; none of you offer viable alternatives to the ideas you're so busy tearing down. And that is what you do: tear down, tear down, tear down. Oregon is nice, but the self-satisfied know-it-allism that seems to be the pervading school of thought around these parts is hardly better than a lazy, disinterested audience. On the contrary, it's about sixes.

Great, and just how much consultation did you do with the folks you expect to cough up donations? That was the one local radio show I could tune into to hear local issues, especially with ballot measures. What, I'm supposed to listen to the whole 9 hours of All Things Considered and Morning Edition to pluck out those sorts of stories? What, did Sizemore, Parks, Mannix, and McIntrye join OPB's board to ensure that they could ram as many ill-considered measures through as possible?

I'm really sick of the arrogant idiots at OPB running their operation like their own private hobby.

Oh well, OPB's loss will be KPLU and KMHD's gain, I suppose.

These were the first four stories, as I recall:

1. A dry recitation of state forecast on job growth. No interviews or context.

2. Governor urges people to drive safely. State Web site has some info on a safe-driving program.

3. Nordstrom eliminated piano players from some stores. (On The O's front page today)

4. Plain vanilla weather forecast.

And you're going to miss the program because why???

I like Oregon Considered because it does what television was once so good at -- reporting news. Maybe it's just me, but I can't take local television news anymore. It's the package that's unwatchable. Anyone remember the feature pieces by Jon Tuttle and Ray Summers, innovative Magazine shows like Evening, political commentary by Floyd McCay?

Now I get my news from the Oregonian and Oregon Considered. Say -- that would be a mashup, wouldn't it. Don't forget Bill Lunch.

Ira Glass says radio is more intimate than television because the mike is so close to the mouth. I think he's on to something.

I trust the instincts of the pros at OPB. I just miss Oregon Considered. And I won't be alone.

I don't understand why expanded local coverage is desirable at OPB. I tune in only for the national NPR coverage. What OPB is doing sounds to me like taking The Economist and replacing its content with reporting from the Portland Tribune. That would as much sense as what OPB is doing.

Thank you OPB.

This morning you managed to include a longer local news at 6:49am and still hit the national open to Morning Edition at 7am.

Thanks for not wiping out the top of M.E.

Please do this more often.

It's been a week in the new format, and I have heard Marketplace at its new time exactly -- well, not at all. And I have heard Oregon news -- well, more or less not at all either. But I have found the solution! I have replaced most of my radios with Internet radio-capable equipment, and I now listen to (and am a member of) Minnesota Public Radio and to the Marketplace podcasts. We have transferred our Cornerstone-level membership to KBPS for their classic music programming.

Goodbye OPB -- when you were a well-rounded station with NPR, local news, and music, that was great. Now you are trying to be another AM-style talk-radio station. Forget it - dry up and blow away.

-- Former Cornerstone member

Morgan, I hope you follow through on your plans to make a special podcast made up of OPB reports that would be similar to Oregon Considered. I appreciate the need for change but like others here, I just don't have the time to sit through all of Morning Edition and All Things Considered to hear OPB reports. I have pitched this once before, one thing you could also do is expand your Quicktake Northwest podcast to include two or three OPB reports from the NPR programs and do this each day. I always have believed you aren't using the Quicktake program to it's fullest potential. I think this would be a good compromise.

I second (third? fourth?) the comments above about how the podcast was essential listening for me for local/regional news, and I won't spend the time wading through All Things Considered for the regional news even if it is featured at a regular time. I don't on a regular basis get my National/International news from NPR and rely on other sources. The podcast allowed me the flexibility to listen at my own desired time, so would VERY much like a digest of the regional news featured in a subscribe audio format.