>>>Let's not forget that NPR receives huge grants from the federal government.
>>
>>Wrong. The grants NPR receives are 'matching', not 'huge'. Additionally, the match percentage has continued to decline since inception. Little donation equals little grant. Huge donation equals 'huge' grant.
>>
>
>Huge or not is all relative. 30% of their budget or about 250 million dollars, IMO, is huge. Which means that they also get the same (matching) from donations. The bottom line that they now have 60%, just for asking <g>.


heh-heh Cute way of looking at it fer shur -- 'cept they do not "ask". It is instead offered by the public with no commercial strings attached provided the listener warrants it. If it were commercial, they could "ask" for more and get it, provided the listener base warranted it.

$250 million *is* huge if:
- it's on your Sears card
- there's an error on your bank statement
- your 'befriending' an exotic dancer.
But if you call up Mr. ClearChannel asking for access to his listener base, it's chump change... :-(