Show Business: Friendly Sounds in the Dark

(4 of 4)

Newscasts rarely seek or offer that sort of audience rapport. But NPR's popular All Things Considered is an exception. With its leisurely pace, mellow tone and literate, in-depth reporting, the late-afternoon newscast is not just the most informative news show on radio but also the friendliest. "The show is relaxed and informal," says Susan Stamberg, who is co-host of the 90-minute program with Noah Adams. "We even ask the audience to send us story ideas. We do in the real world what Garrison Keillor does in the fantasy world." A Manhattan native, Stamberg began as co-host on All Things Considered in 1972, after quitting a "boring" editorial assistant's job at the New Republic magazine. "Here talents can flourish," she says. "If things are going well on the show, you don't have to stop for a commercial or because your 30 or 60 seconds are up."

Such things are appreciated by the show's loyal audience, which includes many movers and shakers in Washington as well as other journalists. CBS's Charles Kuralt proclaims that All Things Considered "beats anything else on radio, television, shortwave, CB or ship-to-shore." Others might nominate Morning Edition, NPR's two-hour morning counterpart, anchored by Bob Edwards, at least a close second. The less than prime-time salaries for anchors (estimated $60,000) rankle a bit, admits Edwards, who came to NPR after leaving the Mutual Radio Network in 1973. "But it's a trade-off; 50% of what I do here is my idea."

Personal involvement seems to be radio's special province, whether the product is news or advice. Says NPR President Douglas Bennet: "We have the kind of programs that keep people sitting in their cars after they have arrived at work or at home. With radio you can get your mind on the subject." In the NPR office, a sign boasts: RADIO WILL BURY TELEVISION. The message might be a little brawny for the medium. But no one can deny that radio is alive and talking. --By Richard Zoglin. Reported by Elaine Dutka/New York and Hays Gorey/Washington