Spring Break
Local public radio station fires iconic host amid controversy
Steiner had been at station since it was WJHU
Issue date: 2/7/08
"Tony, Barbara and Andy just wanted me off the air. It was very personal and at the same time the difference was philosophical," he said.
Steiner has been a vocal supporter of the idea that listeners ultimately control public radio.
"It's very simple. We disagree," Brandon said during the interview on Maryland Morning.
Because the board of directors is the trustee of WYPR's license, Brandon argued, they are responsible for the station.
"Public radio has a mission that is intended to go beyond ratings as a public service. There is a segment of our society that doesn't have lots of money and influence and are too much of a minority to affect ratings," the WYPR employee said.
"My understanding of the board is that its members are overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly affluent. I don't know how many of them even live in Baltimore. It's outrageous," Markowitz said.
"I'm very disappointed to see Marc leave. He brings a lot to the culture of the station and the culture of Baltimore," WYPR Board of Directors member Aldan Weinberg said.
Steiner said he felt that the board of directors "needs to represent the racial, ethnic and economic demographics" found in its listenership.
One of the reasons given by WYPR for Steiner's ousting was decreased ratings.
WJHU sports broadcast director Brendan Vandor said, "while public radio's main concern shouldn't be ratings, it's obviously still a factor. There's no denying this."
The reaction to the news among Hopkins students was mixed.
"I don't think public radio necessarily needs to be primarily concerned with ratings," WJHU technical director Matthew Ziegelbaum said.
"That's not to say, however, that ratings shouldn't play any role. If Marc Steiner's ratings were truly falling as much as the station says, it's entirely possible that, as their flagship show, he was costing them in decreased donations."
Bozzuto told the Sun that the station's listenership has increased overall, except during the noon-to-two time slot occupied by Steiner's program.
But according to available data, WYPR's overall audience has actually decreased.
Approximately 47,300 people tuned in to listen to Steiner's show in the fall of 2005, according to Carl Nelson, manager of client services at the Radio Research Consortium.
Over the next two years, listenership decreased by 21 percent to 37,400. During that same time, the overall WYPR audience decreased by 17 percent from 170,500 to 142,000.
Nelson said it was possible for the station to have different ratings information than what is publicly available, but that WYPR is not obligated to release this data.
Steiner said he would be willing to return if asked by WYPR.
"I love what I do," he said.
Steiner has been a vocal supporter of the idea that listeners ultimately control public radio.
"It's very simple. We disagree," Brandon said during the interview on Maryland Morning.
Because the board of directors is the trustee of WYPR's license, Brandon argued, they are responsible for the station.
"Public radio has a mission that is intended to go beyond ratings as a public service. There is a segment of our society that doesn't have lots of money and influence and are too much of a minority to affect ratings," the WYPR employee said.
"My understanding of the board is that its members are overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly affluent. I don't know how many of them even live in Baltimore. It's outrageous," Markowitz said.
"I'm very disappointed to see Marc leave. He brings a lot to the culture of the station and the culture of Baltimore," WYPR Board of Directors member Aldan Weinberg said.
Steiner said he felt that the board of directors "needs to represent the racial, ethnic and economic demographics" found in its listenership.
One of the reasons given by WYPR for Steiner's ousting was decreased ratings.
WJHU sports broadcast director Brendan Vandor said, "while public radio's main concern shouldn't be ratings, it's obviously still a factor. There's no denying this."
The reaction to the news among Hopkins students was mixed.
"I don't think public radio necessarily needs to be primarily concerned with ratings," WJHU technical director Matthew Ziegelbaum said.
"That's not to say, however, that ratings shouldn't play any role. If Marc Steiner's ratings were truly falling as much as the station says, it's entirely possible that, as their flagship show, he was costing them in decreased donations."
Bozzuto told the Sun that the station's listenership has increased overall, except during the noon-to-two time slot occupied by Steiner's program.
But according to available data, WYPR's overall audience has actually decreased.
Approximately 47,300 people tuned in to listen to Steiner's show in the fall of 2005, according to Carl Nelson, manager of client services at the Radio Research Consortium.
Over the next two years, listenership decreased by 21 percent to 37,400. During that same time, the overall WYPR audience decreased by 17 percent from 170,500 to 142,000.
Nelson said it was possible for the station to have different ratings information than what is publicly available, but that WYPR is not obligated to release this data.
Steiner said he would be willing to return if asked by WYPR.
"I love what I do," he said.
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