NPR podcasts
Why cant/doesnt NPR (national network feed) do podcasts for free?
I would love to be able to get Cartalk and a few other npr shows via podcast, but they sell them via Audible...this doesnt seem right, to sell the tax payers what they have already paid for, without the U.S. tax payer, NPR would not exist.
I ask this question because I notice that the BBC does in fact "podcast" or otherwise make a lot of their content freely availible.
I would love to be able to get Cartalk and a few other npr shows via podcast, but they sell them via Audible...this doesnt seem right, to sell the tax payers what they have already paid for, without the U.S. tax payer, NPR would not exist.
I ask this question because I notice that the BBC does in fact "podcast" or otherwise make a lot of their content freely availible.
Comments
Thanks for asking about a Podcast of Car Talk.
Current and previous editions of Car Talk are available in download from from Audible.
For more info, see http://www.cartalk.com/Radio/Show/
Audible includes an option for a weekly subscription-- when the show comes out, it's delivered to your Ipod. We do charge for it, however, which helps us cover the cost of producing our web site.
Best,
Doug Mayer
Wrote to several other NPR shows and received this response:
Thank you for contacting NPR.
We appreciate your interest in the podcasting of NPR programming.
As you might be aware, in 1999, NPR signed a podcasting agreement with
Audible when that company was one of the few exploring ways to make audio
downloadable and portable. Using Audible's services at that time was the
best way for NPR to explore this new distribution technology, deal with the
emerging and complicated rights issues related to download and begin
experimenting with how to best serve NPR listeners who are on the go.
In the six years since then, the landscape for content downloading and
portability has changed dramatically. Beginning last year, we recognized
that new technologies in the marketplace might enable us to better serve
NPR listeners. As we formulate a more comprehensive strategy, we chose not
to renew our agreement with Audible when it recently expired.
We are now developing a new strategy for making NPR content downloadable
and portable. Once the plan is finalized, we will announce it publicly.
NPR is committed to exploring emerging platforms that will best serve
listeners and our stations, in ways that will add more value to the NPR
experience. This commitment includes a strong online presence with NPR.org,
extensive involvement in satellite radio and leadership in the developing
digital radio industry. We look forward to extending that philosophy with a
new download and portability strategy.
I'm not certain which show this response is for, but it looks like there is some hope. Maybe Car Talk will get with the program if NPR moves to a new model.
Originally posted by a_greer
Why can't/doesn?t NPR (national network feed) do podcasts for free?
I would love to be able to get Cartalk and a few other npr shows via podcast, but they sell them via Audible...this doesnt seem right, to sell the tax payers what they have already paid for, without the U.S. tax payer, NPR would not exist.
I ask this question because I notice that the BBC does in fact "podcast" or otherwise make a lot of their content freely availible.
I would love this too.. but I have to take issue on one point.
to sell the tax payers what they have already paid for, without the U.S. tax payer, NPR would not exist.
Flatly NOT true. It is a myth to think NPR is majorly funded by public funds.
"Most of the complaints about NPR's bias concern public radio funding. NPR, like other public broadcasters, receives public money. It's not much these days -- less than 1 percent comes from the CPB. Public radio stations average 13 percent of their funding from the CPB and some of that money comes back to NPR in program fees and membership dues." Source
So this is not getting something you have already paid for. To draw similar lines.. why do you have to PAY for a rental of a Sesame Street video at Blockbuster? OH, because tax payers didn't PAY for it.
So while I love my NPR, and I love podcasts. I don't think they 'owe' us anything. The method they have is perfectly fair... even if we'd rather get something for nothing (who wouldn't?)