One side benefit of having been out of the US on my recent was that I had missed several days of the KQED Pledge Drive. KQED is a radio station, part of the US network of Public Radio (NPR) which receive about one-third of their income from on-air pledge drives. The drives take over regular programming for 2-3 weeks and replace them with constant begging for funds. These drives are quarterly, so this the second one I have endured since moving to Northern California.
I listen to KQED on the way to and from work as it gives me a better quality world news that I can obtain from TV or music focused radio. A few months ago even CNN was focusing on the death of a stripper on the day that the two Palestinian factions agreed on a truce. In content NPR is reminiscent of BBC Radio Four, even down to a US version of “The News Quiz”.
Before moving to the US, I had believed that NPR and the TV channels of PBS were broadcast with adverts. In fact NPR does claim to be noncommercial on its website. However, the shows are underwritten by companies who have brief statements about themselves read on air; “This segment brought to you by Allstate Insurance, you are in good hands”. These occupy less airtime and are less intrusive than adverts on commercial radio, but do seem to negate the concept of noncommercial broadcasting.
