A ray of hope for NPR and PBS | Plain Talk by Dave Zweifel

There's one man in Madison who has understandably paid more attention than most to the Trump administration's dismantling of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and, consequently, funding assistance for NPR and PBS.

That's because Jack Mitchell, who for 21 years directed Wisconsin Public Radio, happens to be National Public Radio's first employee after it was established in 1967. While at NPR he co-created the long-running afternoon news program "All Things Considered" and was its first producer and newscaster.

Mitchell's retired now as emeritus professor at the UW School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he taught after stepping down as WPR's director in 1997. In the meantime, he's authored several books, including my favorite, "Wisconsin on the Air: 100 years of public br