Working for a non-commercial radio station, I am very distressed at the trends to remove "specialty" programs from the airwaves.

Unfortunately, the answer seems to be listener support. We've discussed this before on Mudcat, but it bears repeating. Even though many of these radio stations are "public", they do need to make ends meet. It has become a recognized fact that it is easier to reach the largest possible audience for support - not only from the listener, but also from corporations for donor grants. It is easier to do this with a single recongizable format. When a station is sprinkled with specialty shows, it becomes a challenge to meet the numbers.   Sure, a folk music show MIGHT have good support, but it could also stand in the way of receiving a larger grant from a corporation that wants to underwrite an entire block of programming - say classical, jazz, or talk.

Satellite radio may be the future.

It is a sad fact of life these days that many "public" radio stations are forced to operate this way.