Why was Marc Fired?
The Most Important Representative of WYPR
Most people identify Marc Steiner as the most important representative of WYPR. This fact has been a flashpoint for WYPR’s upper management and some members of the WYPR Board of Directors.
Is it Marc’s opinions, his other interests, his refusal to accept any type of editorial control over the content of his show that led to the cancellation? We can’t be sure. Sadly, the decision to cancel Marc’s show appears to be personal.
Many maintain that Marc’s firing is the culmination of a campaign to marginalize and diminish Marc’s role at WYPR
WYPR seems prepared to sacrifice the well-being of the station and the WYPR community over issues of personality and control.
The assertion used by WYPR upper management is that this was a firing based on ratings. An article in the Baltimore Sun print edition from 2/6/08 demonstrates that the ratings of Marc’s show did not drop dramatically. A Baltimore Sun Critical Mass blog post from 2/6/08 further refutes the claim. If indeed, ratings for the station dropped overall, then why isn’t management’s responsibility being examined?
Many of us believe that “Your Public Radio” should not be driven by ratings. But if lower ratings are a financial business problem, then how large a problem have station upper management and some members of the WYPR Board created by canceling a fund drive and alienating thousands of members, listeners, and underwriters?
What You're Saying...
Consider my financial support for WYPR terminated with the same level of abruptness & lack of concern that you showed Marc Steiner. Good luck pandering to all your new donors — my radio will be tuned elsewhere. Maybe Kojo can use my hard-earned dollars.” –Emily
“To remove one who gave the soul to the station makes me wonder, has it lost its soul” –Brett