Sept. 11, 2023 2:45p
(WGTD)---The very first employee of National Public Radio—NPR—was Greg Berg’s guest on a recent edition of The Morning Show.
Jack Mitchell—who went on to serve as a director of Wisconsin Public Radio—was a key player in getting the partially, publicly-financed network off the ground in the late 1960’s.
In the interview, Mitchell confirmed that at least one of those planning sessions took place at the Wingspread Conference Center north of Racine.
In his role, Mitchell was the first producer of NPR’s flagship program, All Things Considered. "It was the most exciting period of my life," Mitchell said. "You were just scratching it out..you would barely get on the air sometimes. It was touch and go often. But there was a vision."
That vision was a more informed and unified society.
After leaving NPR, Mitchell went on to reshape "educational" radio in Wisconsin by creating the dual network format that exists today: 'NPR News & Classical Music" and the news and talk-heavy "Ideas Network."
For the full program, click here.
-0-