In Sacto, NPR Still Attacking Reagan

K. Lloyd Billingsley:

Capital Public Radio, a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Public Radio, is conducting a record drive, urging listeners to bring in — think “donate” — old albums, records, compact discs and so forth. These could include such items as “The Spoken Word of Ronald Reagan,” a spokesman said, “We get a lot of those.”

He apparently thought it was funny, but it did prove revealing. More than 20 years after he left office, and seven years after his death, NPR is still flailing away at Reagan, confirming that NPR remains the organ of the Democratic left. That is why many will not contribute, even though they may like the occasional episode of “Piano Jazz” or “Car Talk.”

The sarcastic tone and inflection said it all. Anything by Ronald Reagan is particularly tossable. That reveals why many will not donate to NPR, whose outlets are in perpetual panhandling model. NPR even urges listeners to donate their automobiles. They will pick it up and do the paperwork. But it’s not as though they lack for money.

They get government money, and run what amount to ads for business like Jiffy Lube and various law firms. In 2003 Joan Kroc, widow of burger magnate Ray Kroc, gave NPR more than $200 million. Along with the government dole, that should have lasted quite a while, but NRP ponies up other reasons not to give.

Last year NPR fired Juan Williams, an articulate African-American liberal known for a fair and balanced approach to the news.

JUNE 10, 2011