Public radio

NPR expects to make a profit this year, a surprising state of affairs for a nonprofit. But with the national debate raging about whether the federal government should stop funding public broadcasting, could NPR find itself a victim of its own success?

Carl Kasell's career with National Public Radio almost ended before it started. The newscaster developed vocal polyps about 30 years ago. His doctor recommended surgery. The post-operative therapy of 30-days of total silence was especially difficult for the native of Goldsboro, N.C., to endure, but...

The recession has been bad to NPR, as it has been to most media outlets. But it has been remarkably good to one small piece of the public radio network: Planet Money, the blog and podcast operation started last fall to explain the complexities of the global economy to a suddenly-interested...

A listener to public radio's business show "Marketplace" might get the impression that the quirky half-hour program is an anarchic affair held together with rubber bands and chewing gum. But people who know Executive Producer J.J. Yore say the truth is quite the opposite. Yore, 52, was one of the...

During a recent pledge drive, Terry Gross, host of NPR's Fresh Air, urged listeners who couldn't afford to donate to Philadelphia's NPR affiliate to hold onto their money. Looks like people heeded the public radio star's advice since WHYY failed to meet its fund-raising goals. The problems at the...