Kat, thanks for the links to the older threads. I've only been reading this forum for a short time, and would not have guessed there was any interest at all in progressive radio here. As neutrally as possible, I will say I don't share your enthusiasm for NPR/PBS/CPB, and am more than a little skeptical about a PBS show on Pacifica, but will try to see it if I get the chance.

Anyone interested in a broader range of information than US broadcast radio permits should really look into shortwave -- a decent receiver from Grundig or Sony can be had for around $200 US, and will get you the BBC, Deutsch Welle, Radio Netherlands, and RFPI (which continues to broadcast some of the shows dropped by Pacifica), and of course much more. A good introduction to shortwave is "Passport To World Band Radio", a paperback guide published annually (they probably have a website, I haven't looked).

This is maybe a bit less important than it would have been a decade ago, a lot that used to be accessible only through shortwave is now on the web -- still, for anyone curious about a different take on the news, a shortwave receiver is invaluable.