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NPR CEO Jarl Mohn: Radio Future 'Huge'

Staff

The radio news business is at a crossroads, in part because of emerging technologies but also because of the economic realities of the 21st century. As a subset, public radio faces an uncertain future.

The president and CEO of NPR, Jarl Mohn stopped by the GLT studios to talk with Willis Kern during Sound Ideas. Mohn said the future is exciting because NPR is embracing new technologies while paying attention to the legacy news programs which have built the brand. While studies point to a dwindling consumer base for radio, Mohn is optimistic.

"93 percent of the U.S. population listened to the radio in the last seven days. Even millennials are listening. 91 percent of them listened to the radio in the last week. The average time spent listening to the radio for a millennial  age 19-34 in a given week is 11 hours," Mohn said. "Radio is going to be here for a while."

Responding to a recent Slate article questioning NPR's readiness, Mohn said the network is responding swiftly to new technologies and communication platforms. He cited the Apple Watch and connected cars.

"Now Amazon has the Echo, and you can get NPR News voice-activated from Alexa on an Echo just by saying, 'give me the news!'," Mohn said. Plus, he said some of the most listened to podcasts on iTunes are regularly NPR products.

He defended continued taxpayer support for public broadcasting, saying the decimation of local newspaper staffs means public radio must fill a vital need for an informed citizenry necessary for a strong democracy.

 

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Willis is a Bloomington, IL, native. During his senior year at Bloomington High School, he finished third in the "Radio Speaking" division of the state speech contest, the only year he competed.
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