Public radio is all about donations and grants, NOT advertisements. That's why they pester people (and businesses) to give them money, so they can be (allegedly) free from the petty worries of "ratings." Reading between the lines, it's pretty obvious that "ratings" is just an excuse for getting rid of him for whatever other reasons they have. Clearly, if they felt strongly justified in those reasons, they wouldn't hide behind, "ratings." Public radio doesn't operate on advertising revenue (which is ratings-dependent), rather, it's donation-centric. Did the emphasis on corporate donations play a role? Maybe. Was this self-censorship on the part of YPR? Or was this just petty personality clashes? It will take a long time to come out, if it ever does.

I appreciate you running the numbers and showing people what a load of bull is ratings excuse is. Unfortunately, what's done is done.

Clearly the management has no concern for its individual donors and listeners (most of which overlap). If they were smart, they budgeted for a significant drop in individual donations for the next 6 to 12 months. If they're not, they're in for a shock at the next fund drive. Either way, they're not going to back down now and bring him back, because then that would prove that Steiner is more powerful than them, and well, they just won't allow themselves to be put in a situation where they are beholden to actually work in cooperation with him (perish the thought).

Thanks for tracking the numbers. Hopefully they can get into the print edition. I agree totally with Tyldak. This is all about personalities not the principles of what public radio is.

I can't believe Marc Steiner was fired from YPR. I switch radio stations all of the time, listening to different things. I would think there would have to be a good reason to not be able to listen to him. And yet there doesn't seem to be one.

Firing Marc Steiner was another slap in the face for Baltimore (which so many Marylanders think is a separate country). Steiner's topics and guests were relevant to what is actually happening in our town. He made you feel that someone actually cared. I can't believe that WYPR management could have been so clueless.

I'm one of the people that turned off YPR when the Steiner show started and back on when it was over. I can't believe it was on the air for so many years. It's nearly impossible to come up with two hours of new and meaningful content five days a week while also hosting community forums, special segments like Just Words and Inside MD Politics, and other things. I would have listened to the show if it was shorter! 30 minutes is about all I can really stand of the guy before I wish I lived an another city.

I hope that the Board of WYPR comes to realize that by losing the support of so many of its listener sponsors through its firing of Marc Steiner (and the particularly inept and insensitive manner in which this was done), it is badly damaging its position in the community, which will inevitably have fiscal repercussions for the station. The management's failure to discuss its decision with the Community Advisory Board in advance shows clearly what it really thinks about the public that helps support it. I'd like information on the ratings history of the other locally produced programs aired on WYPR. It seems increasingly clear as more information surfaces that it wasn't his program's ratings, but rather personal rancor toward Steiner himself that led to his firing.

Chris,

It would be helpful if you stated the source of the ratings info.

Thanks for this great work.

I am from Baltimore and have lived here for most of my life. Like many other listeners, I was shocked to learn this terrible news.

The whole reason that WYPR is (was) unique was because of its Baltimore flavor. The Marc Steiner Show is comparable to, and in many cases more thought-provoking than, some of the best national programming on public radio.

Marc is used to tackling large, critical issues that, more often than not, extend beyond the boundaries of Baltimore and Maryland; sometimes the topics of discussion on his show even extend beyond the borders of our country in importance and relevance.

I'm not sure what other shows the board was comparing the Marc Steiner Show with, but I know it would be difficult to find a show similar to his to compare it to.

I have heard that this more about "personality" than anything else, and to me this reason makes the most sense. I reckon that he might have ruffled some feathers of the wealthy and politically rigid, but that was simply because he asked honest, and sometimes hard questions in order to dig down into a topic.

I am constantly amazed at the shallowness, pettiness, and callousness of many of those in positions of power.

I hope that more and more citizens speak out about this outrage, and I hope that those in charge turn things around immediately, or else I believe the station, and consequently, Baltimore will suffer greatly from lack of access to thoughtful, honest, and relevant conversation.

I would like to see some reporting on WYPR radio fund-drive numbers for 2006 and 2007. How much money was raised during the Marc Steiner Show? How much was raised during the hours Marc was on air pitching the ask? How many listeners mentioned that the Marc Steiner Show was the reason for their contribution?

NPR stations are relying more and more on underwriters (read: advertisers) than on individual donations now that CPB provides a lower percentage of their operating expenses.

I disagree with those who think "what's done is done," and there is no way the station management is going to back down and bring back Marc. In February 2006, WETA management acted imperiously in dumping classical music entirely and going to an all talk format, issuing smug reassurances like Tony Brandon's along the lines of "You'll get used to it," and, "In the long run it will be good for the station." Well, WETA's reputation was greatly damaged, they lost their donor base, and a whole year later management had to face up to its huge blunder. People power won and now the station plays classical music again.

Steven L., I didn't know that about WETA. I hope you're right. Unfortunately YPR and Baltimore is just small town enough, and this situation is just petty enough, that I could see the board cutting off its nose to spite its face on this one. We'll have to see how their next fund drive goes.

Maryland listeners and WYPR members angry about the firing are protesting outside every day Mon.-Sat. from 12 noon to 1 p.m. at WYPR. It has occurred every day through Feb. 12 and will go on.
Article and coverage of it:
WYPR Members Protest at WYPR for Return of Marc Steiner Show
(BIMC, 02-12-08)
http://baltimore.indymedia.org/newswire/display/16831/index.php

Why is the Sun not publishing what must be hundreds and hundreds of letters about Marc Steiner in the print edition.. Could it be some sort of agreement between the paper and the station?

I moved to Baltimore from Vermont two years ago, to take an executive position at a local corporation. In Vermont I had been a faithful contributor to public radio. Listening to Marc Steiner has made our transition to living here much easier. He helped us feel like we were getting to know our new town. We will not be renewing our membership with YPR this year because they fired Steiner.

I would like to add my voice in protest of this bizarre, self-destructive decision. The Mark Steiner show was the local gem of WYPR, and the reasons that have been offered for cancelling the show make no rational sense. One can only hope that in time the real reasons for this action will become a matter of public record so that the responsible parties can be held accountable. Until then, I suspect that the radio station will only suffer further declines in audience rating and income.