Did you think I had forgotten about my promise (or was it a threat?) to tell you about my tour of NPR? Anyway - NPR is my favorite radio station. It is about all I ever listen to, apart from the BBC Radio Scotland feed on my computer. The first thing we do when we move or travel is figure out where the NPR station lives on the dial in the new location. So, I was thrilled when I discovered that NPR does tours of its studio in DC every Thursday morning. Right then and there I determined to skip whatever session was on tap at the seminar and go to the tour.
All these pictures are from Studio 4A - the studio where they interview musicians. It was the only room we were allowed to take pictures of. Ah well. We got to see the office areas, where the reporters and researchers and producers work, and we even got to see Scott Simon working on an interview! He was in a studio, and we were int he observation room, and he waved! For NPR geeks, this was a swoon-worthy event.
Studio 4A is an amazing space - the floor, ceiling, and walls are acoustically designed to provide perfect sound for radio, so you can hear every note as it was intended. They have a specially room with a Plexiglas shield for drummers, when they have rock bands. This is as it ought to be! Keep the drummers separate.
If you are an NPR geek like me, and are in the DC area on a Thursday, take the tour! It's free. If you listen to NPR and don't give monetary support, please reconsider. The tour guide told us that only 10% of listeners donate to their local stations, and NPR has not been immune from the current economic climate. They have had to lay off reporters and other staff. We need their special, balanced (or at least biased in the proper direction) reporting on issues.
Did you think I had forgotten about my promise (or was it a threat?) to tell you about my tour of NPR? Anyway - NPR is my favorite radio station. It is about all I ever listen to, apart from the BBC Radio Scotland feed on my computer. The first thing we do when we move or travel is figure out where the NPR station lives on the dial in the new location. So, I was thrilled when I discovered that NPR does tours of its studio in DC every Thursday morning. Right then and there I determined to skip whatever session was on tap at the seminar and go to the tour.
All these pictures are from Studio 4A - the studio where they interview musicians. It was the only room we were allowed to take pictures of. Ah well. We got to see the office areas, where the reporters and researchers and producers work, and we even got to see Scott Simon working on an interview! He was in a studio, and we were int he observation room, and he waved! For NPR geeks, this was a swoon-worthy event.
Studio 4A is an amazing space - the floor, ceiling, and walls are acoustically designed to provide perfect sound for radio, so you can hear every note as it was intended. They have a specially room with a Plexiglas shield for drummers, when they have rock bands. This is as it ought to be! Keep the drummers separate.
If you are an NPR geek like me, and are in the DC area on a Thursday, take the tour! It's free. If you listen to NPR and don't give monetary support, please reconsider. The tour guide told us that only 10% of listeners donate to their local stations, and NPR has not been immune from the current economic climate. They have had to lay off reporters and other staff. We need their special, balanced (or at least biased in the proper direction) reporting on issues.
1 comment:
I somehow missed this before. I'm so jealous. I know a librarian at Syracuse who got to tour the NPR library too. No fair!
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