According to Richard Leiby’s column, “Reliable Source” in today’s Washington Post, Bob Edwards is furious because NPR barred his old colleague Scott Simon , host of “Weekend Morning Edition,” (Actually, “Weekend Edition Saturday”) from appearing on his XM Satellite Radio show last week to promote a book. “This is clearly just pettiness directed at me,” Edwards told Leiby yesterday. “It baffles me that they are going to these petty extremes, especially when I am still an outspoken supporter of public radio and NPR specifically.”

See the whole story, including the typically-bewildering response by an NPR spokesman, at Bob Edwards Learns NPR Isn’t Done Hitting the Off Button - then write the “Ombudsman” and complain about this petty nonsense. I mean, doesn’t Jay Kernis have better things to do than to sit awake nights in fear of a satellite radio show?

Update 4:45pm: This story is also being reported on the Outside the Beltway newsblog. The only comment there as of this writing is from someone apparently raised by wolves with no sense of taste nor decency; perhaps readers here might consider countering this person’s post.

Another note of some relevance; Scott Simon has been on XMPR (XM Satellite Public Radio). Back in February, he appeared on “The Kalb Report” when they discussed baseball in the Nation’s Capital. So apparently NPR doesn’t have a problem with XMPR, it’s only The Bob Edwards Show they don’t want Scott to appear on. Damning evidence that this is personal pique and not sensible decisionmaking…