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Letters: April Fool

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

Time now for your comments, and we got lots of mail about yesterday's review of a new CD box set.

TOM MOON: You might think that as a loyal listener, you've heard all of NPR's funding credits. You would be wrong. The collection includes an entire disc of rarities and outtakes.

(Soundbite of NPR credit)

Unidentified Man: Support for NPR comes from Ala Neutral, encouraging apolitical thinking on public policy through indifference.

MICHELE NORRIS, host:

Loved that "Collected Underwriting Credits of NPR" CD collection, writes Carolyn D. Esposito(ph) of East Orange, New Jersey. That's my Christmas shopping done.

SIEGEL: Adam Cole(ph) of Atlanta, Georgia was even more excited. He's been recording our funders for years. Cole writes: Some of mine are less than perfect due to static. I think I have the largest collection of bootlegged promotional spots in the world. And he goes on: Please let your listeners know that they can contact me if they want any that are missing.

NORRIS: Several of you, including Brendan Wehrung(ph) of Royal Oak, Michigan, expressed great interest in another CD release mentioned in Tom Moon's review, Wehrung writes: "Daniel Schorr: The Dutch Years" might remedy a wrong the public has had to endure for more than half a century.

SIEGEL: Well, not everyone enjoyed our review. Many of you felt we'd come up pathetically short, including Daniel O'Neill(ph) of Sante Fe, New Mexico. He writes: the April Fool's bit was pretty lame. There's a reason why you write for NPR instead of "The Daily Show."

NORRIS: Please, you are not The Onion, says Patrick Kinsfather(ph) of Chicago.

SIEGEL: Weak, writes Andrew Raymond(ph) of Roanoke, Virginia.

NORRIS: Sad, says Jason Carey(ph) of Oakland, California.

SIEGEL: Rick Levine(ph) of Canton, Massachusetts was more thoughtful in his criticism. He writes: Frankly, just plain dumb.

NORRIS: And Levine continues, I've been an NPR junkie for over 30 years and always wait for your April Fool's story. Lirpa Loof, belly button removal and Arizona being sold to Mexico were wonderful. Each took me a few minutes to be sure it was okay to laugh. This year, not so much.

SIEGEL: Actually, Rick, Canada bought Arizona and installed Bruce Babbitt as governor general. I covered that story.

(Soundbite of laughter)

NORRIS: Well, we do enjoy hearing from you. Send your comments to npr.org and click on Contact Us. No fooling. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

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Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.