NPR to Revamp Cultural Offerings
National Public Radio announced an overhaul of its cultural programming Thursday, saying it wants to strengthen its West Coast presence, diversify its reporting, and make the network’s arts and entertainment shows more appealing to stations and listeners.
NPR now has only one cultural reporter outside Washington, in New York, but the organization plans to put at least two in its new Los Angeles production center when that opens in September, said Ken Stern, NPR executive vice president.
The network is also streamlining its cultural staff, a move Stern said will bring more arts reporting to NPR’s newsmagazines and not restrict it to the network’s culture shows.
In the reorganization, NPR is eliminating 15 jobs but said it will try to move those people to other positions before the changes take effect in August.
NPR is changing “Performance Today” (which airs locally weekdays at 11 a.m. on KCSN-FM [88.5]) to focus mainly on performances and concerts.
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