Regular readers of this space know I am a strong proponent of public radio (although not a fan of the sanctimonious National Public Radio, where the executives don’t give a rat’s tail what the listener wants), and a stronger proponent of the concept of commercial public radio…I honestly believe a commercial, for-profit model can be constructed for public radio-style programs, just as cable channels have profited from PBS-style programming. XMPR, the public radio station on XM Satellite Radio, was the first legitimate attempt to create a for-profit public radio station. But it’s more and more apparent that it is failing.

The problem is, there were from the outset a whole bunch of problems. XM channel websites are something of a laughing stock; next to “Customer Care,” the pitiful system of websites, with their outdated information, is a main complaint against the system. The sites are actually set up in-house to promote not changing the information there, since it is not under the direct control of the channel directors but rather must go through the MIS department. It’s a hassle to get information updated, so channel directors are conditioned not to bother. Looking specifically at XMPR, it becomes impossible for the channel to promote anything well; consider the channel’s airing of The Kalb Report; not only must the station delay the broadcast an hour (I’d frankly prefer this program to be live, but I can certainly understand why the delay), but there’s simply no good way to advertise it, other than on-air. That’s fine, but as someone who daily listens to The Bob Edwards Show and Here and Now (sorry, I cannot stand Tom Ashbrook, so I only listen to On Point when he’s away and a replacement host’s guests can get a word in edgewise, and there are few programs over the weekend I’m interested in hearing…and even those few I record on the XM2Go and listen later in the week), there have been times I haven’t heard any announcements for the show.

Other specials fair even worse; there are occasionally special programs I’ve accidentally stumbled over over the weekends where there have been no mention whatsoever that anyone I’ve talked to has heard. The painful truth is, if you don’t tell people a program is going to air, no one is going to listen to it.
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