Wal-Mart, NPR, and Texas Public Radio

This morning, while listening to our local NPR station in San Antonio (KSTX), the local Texas Public Radio segment ran an essay that was essentially a puff-piece for Wal-Mart. This, in a city that is gearing up to fight one of Wal-Mart's new "Supercenters" that is proposed to be built in a scenic, small-town area on the edge of the city.

A few minutes earlier, during the national NPR news segment, I had noticed that NPR's top-billed sponsor is now (coincidentally?) Wal-Mart.

I've written more about this here: http://pmbryant.typepad.com/b_and_b/2004/11/walmart_scenic_.html

My main question, since TPR is so closely associated with NPR, and NPR is so clearly underwritten by Wal-Mart, it sure looks to me like this is a major conflict of interest. The radio essay wouldn't have been out of place as a paid advertisement. Here is the lead in:

Some residents in northwest Bexar County are very unhappy about plans for a Wal-Mart in their scenic neighborhood which, they say, could be harmful to endangered species. But commentator Kristina Ruiz-Healy talks about a Wal-Mart that is a welcomed addition, even though it is within sight of the Mexican Pyramids.

Has NPR and along with them Texas Public Radio now sold out to Wal-Mart? This essay/promotion is not a good sign.

--Peter

NPR sold us out years ago, I don't give them ANY of my hard earned money!

TPR "buys" programming from NPR with the funds (private, corporate and goverment) it receives.
Makes sense they wouldn't want to "anger" one of their biggest contributors.
I will give TPR feedback on this - I am very familiar with the Helotes area and I know the people DO NOT want this Wal-Mart there.

I thought the timing of this essay/promotion was not at all coincidental, given that the Wal-Mart/Helotes story has only gotten big press locally in the last week or so.

Thanks for your help.

--Peter

Wallyworld has been a sponsor for about a year that I am aware of. It is my opinion that NPR no longer has credibility as a voice of progressives. The board that runs things at NPR is loaded with right wing plants, and they will do to NPR what they did to Pacifica Radio. In fact I believe that NPR is worse than faux, because Faux does not pretend to be anything other than a right wing echo chamber, whereas NPR still professes to be the voice of progressives, which it is not.

And, did you see where Tavis Smiley (who's Public Television program is sponsored by Walmart) is leaving his daily afternoon radio show on NPR for lack of a broader appeal, a wider audience, etc. I stopped listening to NPR - except for Garrison Keillor - and sent them a letter that I would never send money to support them until they covered the real news. Yes, I believe NPR has been compromised. The folks within Walmart are also the same ones behind "privatizing" public education. It's called dumbing down, rush to the bottom, etc.

What about the one that's a few exits past Braun on 1604? Is it not "Super Center" enough? Helotes is such a beautiful little town, I hope they win the fight!!