Every group with a stake in the public radio community has been considered in our strategy. We cannot stand still or wish for the way it used to be. We must do this to survive. Speculation about a NPR-Liberty partnership has been rife since the Public Radio Conference in May, when keynote speaker Barton urged NPR to be aggressive in capturing a share of new media markets, and offered to lend a hand. But the sight of a hug between the two CEOs during Barton's keynoter seemed to leave the deepest imprint on the PRC crowd.
People refer to it again and again.
Peter Jablow, NPR's chief operating officer, even joked recently that Lewis never should have hugged Barton. In his speech, Lewis acknowledged the embrace was seen as portentous. Don't worry,'' he said. The single person who arguably has the most cause for concern about NPR's editorial integrity, NPR news chief Bill Buzenberg, says he's not at all alarmed by the company's plans to exploit the brand name and forge partnerships. The need for NPR to develop new revenue sources clearly exists, he says.