Bye, Bye WYPR

Listening yesterday to the Diane Rehm Show on WAMU-FM — a Washington DC National Public Radio (NPR) outlet — I heard a caller refer to himself as a disgruntled and former WYPR listener.

The reference was to the firing last week of long-time Baltimore NPR station WYPR-FM talk show host Marc Steiner.

In fact much more than just a host, Steiner had been the public face, if you will, of that station for many years, and had recently guided it into its current independence and format.

As Dan Rodricks of the Baltimore Sun put it:

The dumping of Marc Steiner as host of the midday show at WYPR-FM -- a public-radio station that very likely would not exist were it not for him -- is sad and infuriating. Steiner was blessed with the brains, heart, pipes and civic interest for a great talk-show host, and he had a long run of good work.

[By the way, it's interesting to note that Rodricks may be invited to host Steiner's former noon to 2pm time-slot.]

Although I don't live in Baltimore, I am able to access the station while driving through some areas in which I work. But now, I won't. WYPR has lost this customer.

Steiner's website — The Center for Emerging Media — lists some of his other endeavors.

[UPDATE 2008.06.11: Steiner returns to airwaves, but NOT at WYPR.]