Future of Public Radio

Anyone who thinks of Terry Gross when they hear the term "fresh air" is aware of the recent trials and tribulations of National Public Radio.

With hostile leadership both in the legislative and executive branches, not to mention within their own management circles at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the institution has had to fight for its political (and financial) viability.

The real threat, however, is the same one facing the music industry and broadcast television: namely, the power of the viewer to choose what they see, hear and interact with on an individually designed schedule. It even allows for real-time citizen reportage that scoops the traditional media.

Doug Kaye, founder of IT Conversations is at the heart of the podcast revolution. His
recent blog post speculates on the viability of the publicly funded radio icon in light of consumer-produced media.

From The Future of Public Radio:

"The future of public radio may not be podcasting, but it will certainly be based on much lower-cost methods of producing and distributing most programs, and as incumbents in the industry, the WGBHs of the world are unable to cannibalize their own operations to the extent they must to survive. To do so would mean walking away from all the buildings and studios and firing 80% of the staff. Just as 3.5" disk drives replaced the 5" drives at a far lower price/performance ratio, so will the new public radio produce and distribute programs at a far lower cost. And it won't be done by the same organizations."