The Colonel Stepping Down

[filkertom]

Okay, this is perhaps a small thing. But it really, really ticks me off. (Not as much as the Congressional hearings today -- we'll deal with those later.)

Morning Edition host Bob Edwards is stepping down as of April 30. They're consigning him to the hell that is "Senior Correspondent".

Maybe he needs some time away from the grind. I wish him nothing but the best. But, as far as NPR itself goes, I think it's a terrible move.

There are, at this point, six count 'em six voices of wisdom and skill at NPR, which is itself one of the last potential bastions of journalistic integrity (although Juan Williams, Mara Liasson, and a few other BushCo shills are messing it up on a daily basis, and Cokie Roberts apparently sold her soul cheap). Ya got yer Margot Adler, yer Neal Conan, yer Scott Simon, yer Nina Totenberg, yer Ira Plato. You can make cases for Noah Adams and Robert Siegel, and Diane Rehm on her best days.

And ya got Bob Edwards. The Colonel, as Red Barber used to call him. Warm, friendly, soothing, insightful, steady, caring -- kinda like what Shrub pretends he is, or thinks he is, only in fact, and with actual intelligence, wit, curiosity, and humor.

And they're gonna hand it off to Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne, who, while not incompetent, are each Just Another Voice In The Gaggle.

Ohhh, I'm not going to listen to as much NPR as I do now. I can see that.

Comments

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Dude, you left out Daniel Schorr!

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Not so much anymore, not to me. Yeah, back in the day, and as recently as six years ago or so. But Schorr, and so many others, have just gone Eeyup! at the party line. So many obvious fallacies have gone unquestioned. And so many frickin' evil things, with soft fluffy explanations that make no sense, have been given a free pass. And Schorr is one of the ones who's let 'em go by.

I heard the news today, oh boy......

[poltr1]

I was driving around and running errands when I first heard the news (at about 1:50 pm). I'm saddened and shocked at the news. The program doesn't need "freshening up", as the press release claimed. Listening to NPR Morning Edition without Bob Edwards would be like he's away on permanent vacation, and I'll be wondering when he'll be coming back.

Now if I can only get a copy of the Morning Edition music they used around 1981 (it wasn't the Jim Pugh arrangement they use now).

[crwilley.livejournal.com]

Morning Edition just won't be the same without him...and they could have at least waited until the anniversary later this year.


I miss Bob already.

Can't figure this one out

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

And neither can most of his media colleagues. Bob's voice has not aged audibly and his questions are as sharp as ever. Best guess is that he must have seriously annoyed his own bosses somehow.

Carl Castle, on the other hand, still reads the top-of-the-hour news well enough but for godssakes somebody spring for some new dentures. The lisping and tongue-clicking are driving me to distraction.