Bob Edwards

The decision to remove Edwards, made shortly before his 25th anniversary with the show, was met with much criticism by listeners.

Jeffrey Dvorkin, NPR's ombudsman, reported that the network received over 50,000 letters and emails, most of them angry, regarding Edwards' demotion; the listener reaction was the largest reaction on a single subject that NPR had received to that date.

Robert Alan Edwards (May 16, 1947 – February 10, 2024) was an American broadcast journalist who was a Peabody Award-winning member of the National Radio Hall of Fame.

He hosted both of National Public Radio's flagship news programs, the afternoon All Things Considered, and Morning Edition, where he was the first and longest serving host in the latter program's history.

Edwards was a graduate of St. Xavier High School in 1965 and the University of Louisville in 1969.

Edwards began his radio career in 1968 at a small radio station in New Albany, Indiana, a town located across the Ohio River from Louisville, his hometown.

Afterwards, Edwards served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, producing and anchoring television and radio news programs for the American Forces Korea Network from Seoul.

Following his army service, he went on to anchor news for WTOP / 1500, a CBS affiliate, in Washington, D.C. In 1972, at age 25, Edwards anchored national newscasts for the Mutual Broadcasting System.

He also earned an M.A. in communication from American University in Washington, D.C., graduating in 1972.

Edwards joined NPR in 1974 as a newscaster.

Before hosting Morning Edition, Edwards was co-host of All Things Considered.

Edwards hosted NPR's flagship program, Morning Edition, from the show's inception in November 1979 until April 2004.

After 24 plus years with Edwards as host, Arbitron ratings showed that, with 13 million listeners, it was the second highest-rated radio broadcast in the country, behind only Rush Limbaugh's AM show.

Prior to his departure, he was very popular among both listeners and critics.

When Morning Edition and its host won a George Foster Peabody Award in 1999, the Peabody committee lauded Edwards as

a man who embodies the essence of excellence in radio.

His reassuring and authoritative voice is often the first many Americans hear each day.

His is a rare radio voice: informed but never smug; intimate but never intrusive; opinionated but never dismissive.

Mr. Edwards does not merely talk, he listens.

Edwards' skills as an interviewer were widely praised.

NPR's ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin said, "If I were his producer, I would think of Edwards as NPR's version of Charlie Rose."

The New York Daily News called him "an institution among Morning Edition listeners for his interviewing skills and his calm, articulate style".

It is estimated that Edwards conducted over 20,000 interviews for NPR.

His subjects ranged from major politicians to authors and celebrities.

His weekly call-in chats with retired sportscaster Red Barber are fondly remembered.

The chats were supposedly about sports, but often digressed into topics like the Gulf War, what kind of flowers were blooming at Barber's Tallahassee, Florida home, or other non-sport subjects.

Barber would call Edwards "Colonel Bob," referring to Edwards' Kentucky Colonel honor from his native state.

Starting in 2004, Edwards hosted The Bob Edwards Show on Sirius XM Radio and Bob Edwards Weekend distributed by Public Radio International to more than 150 public radio stations.

In April 2004, NPR executives decided to "freshen up" Morning Edition's sound.

Edwards was removed as host, replaced with Steve Inskeep and Renée Montagne, and reassigned as a senior correspondent for NPR News.

The move took him by surprise.

"I'd rather stay," he said, "but it's not my decision to make".

At first, NPR executives and spokespersons did not fully explain the move, leaving many listeners confused.

Eventually they did make some attempts to explain themselves.

According to NPR spokeswoman Laura Gross, "It's part of a natural evolution. A new host will bring new ideas and perspectives to the show. Bob's voice will still be heard; he'll still be a tremendous influence on the show. We just felt it was time for a change".

Executive Vice President Ken Stern also explained the move.

"This change in Morning Edition is part of the ongoing evaluation of all NPR programming that has taken place over the last several years. We've looked at shows like All Things Considered and Talk of the Nation with an eye to how we can best serve listeners in the future."

Those programs ended in September 2015.

Edwards was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to a homemaking mother and an accountant father.

He became interested in radio, and pursuing a radio career, from a young age.