NSA on NPR
Does anyone else find this weird: The National Security Agency helps sponsor Metro Traffic, which feeds traffic information to one of the two great NPR stations in SF -- KQED. Why is the NSA funding (albeit indirectly) NPR?
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Comments (8)
This one is supposed to be funny, right? I mean it is obvious that the National Sherrif's Association sponsors Metro Network's traffic report, not NSA/CSS. I have a brother that works for Westwood One.
Also, you have it backwards on who pays who for traffic reports. NPR and other radio stations typically have a deal with one of two centralized traffic reporting companies which offer traffic reports for "free" in exchange for the ability to sell sponsorships during their traffic reports. It's a big business, run efficiently.
NSA is in the middle of a large recruiting campaign. They are looking to hire 1,500 linguists, mathematicians, electrical engineers and intelligence analysts by September. So I'm not surprised that they are supporting NPR, since this gives them access to their target audience.
News Release: National Security Agency To Hire 1,500 People by September 2004
Alex? Alex Jones? Is that you? You look different.
Hey, the real question is: Exactly why is the NSA funding the automated trafic monitoring system, within the US, and what information are they actually gathering.... ?? I actually think the National Sherif's Association crack is the right one.
As I recall, the announcer said National Security Agency, not NSA.
Gee, do you think government funding is going to influence the editorial policy of National Public Radio? What kind of horrible dystopian future are we headed to, where National Public Radio depends on government funding to stay on the air? THE MIND REELS.
How Public is Public Radio?
A study of NPR’s guest list
http://www.fair.org/extra/0405/npr-study.html