As the article says, they've really had a problem developing new program ideas. There are a lot of creative people in public radio, but it's been hard to launch entertaining or informative shows that stations are willing to run. That's the brick wall. A few years ago, NPR launched a few new shows with the goal of reaching younger audiences, and a lot of public radio stations refused to carry them. The advantage of podcasts is they don't require affiliates to carry them. But the disadvantage is podcasts draw people away from the core product. The good news is the magazines, All things Considered and Morning Edition, have weathered numerous host changes. They still go strong regardless of who's driving the bus. But they need some new shows to replace the ones going away. And they need them pretty quick.
