Rick Karr
Rick Karr contributes reports on the arts to NPR News. He is a correspondent for the weekly PBS public affairs show Bill Moyers Journal and teaches radio journalism at Columbia University.
From 1999 to 2004, he was NPR's lead arts correspondent in New York, focussing on technology's impact on culture. Prior to that, he hosted the NPR weekend music and culture magazine show Anthem, and even earlier in his career, worked as a general assignment reporter and engineer at NPR's Chicago bureau.
Rick was nominated for an Emmy award for his 2006 PBS documentary Net @ Risk, which made the case that the U.S. is falling far behind other nations with regard to the speed and power of its internet infrastructure. He's also reported for the PBS shows NOW and Journal Editorial Report.
Rick is a member of the songwriters' collective Box Set Authentic. He lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with his wife, artist Birgit Rathsmann.
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The Federal Communications Commission considers removing all restrictions on the number of radio and television stations and networks media conglomerates can own. But community groups and independent broadcasters say there's been little room for public input in the process. NPR's Rick Karr reports.
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For several years now, historical preservationists have been stepping up efforts to transfer millions of hours of precious, perishable sound recordings to a single, stable format. At the Library of Congress, technicians are working feverishly to convert their huge collection of tapes, CDs, LPs, eight-track tapes and other audio formats to a playback format that will stand the test of time. NPR's Rick Karr reports on an effort some observers call foolish.
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Austin, Texas, bills itself as the music capital of the world, and this is the week it earns that title. Austin hosts the 17th annual South by Southwest music festival. Every stage in the city is throbbing with live music, and artists are even playing on the street. Hear NPR's Rick Karr.
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Modern technology creates problems between book publishers and libraries. The Association of American Publishers worries about the onset of the "e-book." Meanwhile, libraries are committed to giving the public access to old-fashioned books and e-books alike. NPR's Rick Karr reports.
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The recording industry's trade association says 2002 amounts to a terrible year for the major labels. According to preliminary estimates, the number of records sold this year may have fallen by 10 percent. That follows a 10-percent decline in 2001 and a seven-percent drop the year before. NPR's Rick Karr reports.
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Gadfly director Michael Moore's new film is Bowling for Columbine, a look at gun violence and America's culture of fear. Moore says broadcasters stoke anxiety in a bid for better ratings. He speaks to NPR's Rick Karr.
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Talking Heads' 1980 song pays homage to early rap techniques and The Velvet Underground.
