Maryland residents and WYPR members continue to picket outside Maryland public radio station WYPR for the second straight week. From noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday, daily protests of a handful to a dozen people continued as cold winter weather finally appeared in Baltimore. The cold weather on Tuesday, Feb. 12, even frosted over dusty tan sidewalks and gray city streets.

Protesters are calling for the return of The Marc Steiner Show, a longtime public-affairs newscast focusing on issues in Maryland, Maryland elected officials, Baltimore, and current affairs such as urban poverty, the BGE utility increase, and American culture.

Steiner’s longtime daily show from noon to 2 p.m. offered the WYPR’s most substantial local and statewide commentary and reporting. This is especially true considering much of WYPR’s other quality programming is piped in from National Public Radio, such as All Things Considered, NPR national news, and Garrison Keeler.



The Steiner Show was cancelled abruptly on Friday, Feb. 1, without notice to the public or Marc Steiner. According to a member of WYPR’s Community Advisory Board (CAB), this community advisory group was not consulted. He says CAB volunteer members found out by email only after the firing occurred.

WYPR’s Community Advisory Board is convening for an open public meeting on Feb. 20, 2008 at The Baltimore Museum of Art at 7 p.m. Most likely this issue will be the focus of discussion. Many surprised Steiner Show listeners plan to attend.

Marc Steiner told a group of concerned Charles Village residents on Feb. 10 that he would be willing to come back, under the right circumstances. He says that conflicts at the station date back to the purchase of the station in 2001. He says his show’s abrupt cancellation is “really about democracy on the air.”

Maryland public radio station WYPR raises money from its WYPR membership in order to offer less generic programming with fewer commercials than on commercial privately-owned radio. In 2001, Marc Steiner himself was instrumental in creating the Maryland public radio in existence today. He helped organize investors to purchase the station from Johns Hopkins University for $5 million, and he champions the motto of “Your Public Radio.”

WYPR contends that The Steiner Show was cancelled because of low ratings. However WYPR President Tony Brandon says management tried to help improve the show, but this has been denied by Marc Steiner and by reporter Michael Olesker of The Baltimore Examiner. Steiner says he was informed of the need to revamp his show on Wednesday, Jan. 30. He was fired two days later, not exactly a long time to boost ratings.

According to Michael Olesker's commentary in The Baltimore Examiner, Steiner was handed a separation agreement the following day with a $50,000 bonus for not revealing anything about WYPR internal affairs. On Friday, Feb. 1, after Steiner left the station, he was fired through a press release given to the media. Steiner himself found out when a reporter telephoned him for comments.



Some WYPR members and Steiner Show listeners have been organizing to investigate what really happened, and to bring Marc Steiner back. One group is asking WYPR members to request their donations back in writing. They also are picketing outside from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the WYPR station at 2216 North Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland. That is during The Steiner Show’s formerly regular time slot.

Photos from outside WYPR on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008.

Gregg Mosson is an independent reporter and author of "Season of Flowers and Dust" (Goose River Press). More can be found at his Web site at www.greggmosson.com