The Sound of America, the Story of NPR

The Sound of America, the Story of NPR
BBC Radio 4 - The Archive Hour - 2005-10-29

80K

Joe Queenan takes a look at the past 35 years of American history through the news reports and documentaries produced by NPR - National Public Radio. Everything from international news coverage and national scandals, to must-hear features and Driveway Moments are covered by Joe and the people behind the programmes at NPR, including Susan Stamberg and Robert Siegel.

Joe introduces clips from the NPR archive that span 9/11, life as a minister, small-town America, the death of a child, the Watergate scandal, working in New York, OJ Simpson, the Iraq War, a tribute to Mary Tyler Moore, Dr Kevorkian and many more.

The Sound of America, the Story of NPR - LINK

Back in 1975 in my American University days in Washington, DC I worked at WAMU-FM and AM. I was one of Diane Rehm's first AU student intern. I also did some reporting and editing for WAMU and NPR. There were four stories I worked on that ended up on NPR. (My favorite was a feature report on pro-wrestling's upsurge in youth popularity. You know us college students we love to see a fight.) I remember when Walter Cronkite came to campus and I asked him directly if after he retired did he plan to do some broadcasting on NPR/WAMU? He said retirement is coming and his plan would be fluid.

I loved the shows that I worked on from John Hickmann's Old Time Radio Recollections to Edward Merritt's Classical Overnight. I had hoped to make a career working at NPR or a Public station; but I got married and the free-lance life-style (meaning who knew how much I would make each month) didn't work well with my new wife and especially not with her truly loving and caring father! They 'encouraged' me greatly to find a permanent position and so I was fortunate to land a job with Satellite Business Systems later MCI for their internal communications group. It was 'corporate communications and education' during the 1980s. I then went into computer application testing because I realized at some point no corporation will talk just to itself.

I worked in the systems integration and testing lab for over 25 years for MCI along with partnerships with Northern Telecomm, Digital Equipment Corporation, and EDS.

My best WAMU-FM memory is working with Ed Walker, of the Joy Boys, engineering his old time radio show and having great discussions on old time radio finer points while encouraging Ed to at least try the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. I also wrote for the Washington Star newspaper too. Finally I also loved finding new time radio shows and encouraged WAMU to play Earplay and then I discovered the BBC and I realized American radio would only hope to be as good as the BBC back then. Today I find radio around the world so interesting and entertaining. I am so glad for this oasis of great sounds.

Finally thanks so much for this offering it does help bring back sweet memories of so long ago,

Bob

Replies

abby November 1, 2013 at 7:22am

Thanks, Rick!
- Riklaa > abby November 1, 2013 at 8:02am
  
  You are all welcome. ----------------------------------------------------- R
Robert Flood October 31, 2013 at 8:36pm

Back in 1975 in my American University days in Washington, DC I worked at WAMU-FM and AM. I was one of Diane Rehm's first AU student intern. I also did some reporting and editing for WAMU and NPR. There were four stories I worked on that ended up on NPR. (My favorite was a feature report on pro-wrestling's upsurge in youth popularity. You know us college students we love to see a fight.) I remember when Walter Cronkite came to campus and I asked him directly if after he retired did he plan to do some broadcasting on NPR/WAMU? He said retirement is coming and his plan would be fluid.

I loved the shows that I worked on from John Hickmann's Old Time Radio Recollections to Edward Merritt's Classical Overnight. I had hoped to make a career working at NPR or a Public station; but I got married and the free-lance life-style (meaning who knew how much I would make each month) didn't work well with my new wife and especially not with her truly loving and caring father! They 'encouraged' me greatly to find a permanent position and so I was fortunate to land a job with Satellite Business Systems later MCI for their internal communications group. It was 'corporate communications and education' during the 1980s. I then went into computer application testing because I realized at some point no corporation will talk just to itself.

I worked in the systems integration and testing lab for over 25 years for MCI along with partnerships with Northern Telecomm, Digital Equipment Corporation, and EDS.

My best WAMU-FM memory is working with Ed Walker, of the Joy Boys, engineering his old time radio show and having great discussions on old time radio finer points while encouraging Ed to at least try the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. I also wrote for the Washington Star newspaper too. Finally I also loved finding new time radio shows and encouraged WAMU to play Earplay and then I discovered the BBC and I realized American radio would only hope to be as good as the BBC back then. Today I find radio around the world so interesting and entertaining. I am so glad for this oasis of great sounds.

Finally thanks so much for this offering it does help bring back sweet memories of so long ago,

Bob

This reply was deleted.

Documentary, Docudrama, History, Biography & Historical Fiction

Replies