A community meeting of WYPR members and listeners was held on March 27 at St. Johns Church in Charles Village, drawing 28 people to a rousing two-hour discussion. The people there plan to focus on WYPR's April 2nd through 8th fund drive, asking people not to donate until WYPR changes.

People who listened to WYPR, and especially its former signature program The Marc Steiner Show, have become alarmed about what has happened to their public radio.

One woman, middle aged and comfortablely funky, said she returned her fundraising letter empty. She enclosed a bumper sticker that said, “No Marc No Money.”

An elderly lady and longtime WYPR member said she spent Wednesday handing out flyers to 20 Baltimore businessess, asking them not to support WYPR until Marc Steiner returns.

Another longtime WYPR contributor said he plans to call WYPR during its April 2nd fund drive and politely tell them why he will not be giving this year.

The general consensus of the meeting centered around two demands:

RESTORE THE MARC STEINER SHOW at WYPR

MAKE WYPR MORE RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS



Since WYPR fired the popular public-affairs host Marc Steiner on Feb. 1, WYPR management have rebuffed compromise with community opinion asking them via email, mail, letters-to-the-editor in newspapers, and phone calls to the station to restore the show.

WYPR first claimed they cancelled the show for low ratings, but Baltimore Sun investigative reporting proved otherwise. The Sun showed that the entire station had been falling in ratings. Furthermore, the Sun showed how Steiner's ratings recently have risen back up.

WYPR President Tony Brandon declared on WYPR's Maryland Morning in February that a few original loan backers "own" the station. He told the blog www.saveWYPR.com in March that this issue is closed. WYPR is "moving on."

Brandon's understanding of ownership seems to clash with any common-sense definition "public" in public radio. Listening to the show that replaced Marc Steiner, it sounds sleepy. It appears an 'easy listening' news show.

WYPR changes appear to be part of a news-lite trend across media. For public radio, it seems to coincide with greater corporate underwritting of shows.

This enables WYPR to depend less on listener financial support, and tie themselves in more closely with local companies. Maria Allwine of the Green Party noted at the March 27 meeting that Johns Hopkins underwrites WYPR's health programming, and that a local liquer business underwrites WYPR's "Wine Notes."

Many at the meeting say they plan to attend WYPR’s April 15, 3 p.m. board of directors meeting. The meeting is free and open to the public. It will be the first WYPR board of directors meeting since the Feb. 1 firing of Marc Steiner. WYPR's Community Advisory Board (CAB) is scheduled to deliver a report there based on public testimony it took on Feb. 20, at the Baltimore Museum of Art.





The philosopher Plato said all knowledge is remembering what we have forgotten. WYPR appears to have forgotten the meaning of "public" radio. Judging by the 28 people last night, the discussion is not over.

Gregg Mosson is an independent reporter and author of "Season of Flowers and Dust" (Goose River Press). More can be found at his Web site at www.greggmosson.com