On May 3, 1971, at 5 p.m., All Things Considered debuted on 90 public radio stations.
In the more than four decades since, almost everything about the program has changed, from the hosts, producers, editors and reporters to the length of the program, the equipment used and even the audience.
However there is one thing that remains the same: each show consists of the biggest stories of the day, thoughtful commentaries, insightful features on the quirky and the mainstream in arts and life, music and entertainment, all brought alive through sound.
All Things Considered is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time, news radio program in the country. Every weekday the two-hour show is hosted by Ailsa Chang, Audie Cornish, Mary Louise Kelly, and Ari Shapiro. In 1977, ATC expanded to seven days a week with a one-hour show on Saturdays and Sundays, which is hosted by Michel Martin.
During each broadcast, stories and reports come to listeners from NPR reporters and correspondents based throughout the United States and the world. The hosts interview newsmakers and contribute their own reporting. Rounding out the mix are the disparate voices of a variety of commentators.
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Po Bronson, co-author of NurtureShock, explores some of the thornier issues of child rearing — including the phenomenon of "overpraising" kids and tactics for confronting children who lie. -
Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. Kennedy expressed his views on how his successor should be chosen in a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick last week. Now, discussions are under way in Massachusetts about how the senator will be replaced, and by whom. -
Scientists in Oregon have developed a technique that could be used to prevent certain genetic diseases. They've demonstrated it in monkeys and are anxious to try it in people. The technique raises ethical questions, however, because it makes a permanent genetic change not just in an individual, but in all generations that follow.
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For policymakers to cut medical spending, they must persuade doctors that some procedures are unnecessary. A friendly debate between two cardiologists over using stents to unclog arteries shows how hard it may be to achieve that consensus.
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American troops are setting up combat outposts in Afghanistan to counter the insurgency. But in order to rebuild the country, experts in fields such as farming, irrigation and the rule of law are needed. But such U.S. civilian experts are hard to recruit and aren't arriving in Afghanistan quickly enough, analysts say. -
The late Edward Kennedy was a liberal powerhouse for changing the nation's health care system. Though he died before he was able to realize his goal of providing health insurance for every American, he pushed through many health care bills in his lengthy Senate career. -
Francois Gallix, a professor of contemporary literature in English at the Sorbonne in Paris, was studying in Austin, Texas, when he came across something unexpected: an unfinished novella written by the late Graham Greene in 1926. -
Forget the Steven Spielberg fish tale. Author Lizzie Skurnick says she'll take Peter Benchley's salty novel — and its swearing sailors — over its cinematic adaptation any day. -
President Obama has said he wants to see if diplomacy can keep Iran's nuclear program in check. But even those who promote the idea are wondering how effective the U.S. can be. -
Because of the digital transition, TV stations can now offer four or more different channels. But critics say that offerings are a far cry from what broadcasters could be doing with the new channels.
