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Kadipus and Supidak

[Today: rest day, Yesterday: 4 miles]

I was talking to someone online today about PBS and NPR.  He’s an insider and knows how they operate and what their challenges are.

I don’t watch much broadcast television so I don’t have an opinion about PBS.  I do watch some of their stuff in from Netflix.  Actually, BBC stuff passed down.

Anyway, I told him my consternation about the political position of NPR:  Here is an organization using an antiquated medium (radio) to reach an audience with tastes ranging toward the historical (classical music, radio “magazine” shows, and world news) and relying on voluntary contributions of individuals  (a conservative activity).  But at the same time they have a liberal bent in their presentation and worldview and occasionally outright mockery of conservatives.  They get some pushback about government funding and hunker down as if evil Republicans are out to get them.

The picture is anachronistic.

But that lead me to remember a bit of PBS from my youth.  The “public” TV station at the time was run by the Des Moines Public Schools and the callsign was KDPS  (DPS, get it?).  They mostly had classroom type programming on.  But in the afternoon they had a “children’s” show called Kadipus Land.  It was kind of like a Captain Kangroo thing.  The leader was a guy called Supidak  (Kadipus spelled backwards).

I did a google search and found a picture of a guy’s Kadipus Land membership card.  I don’t remember if I ever had one of those.  Maybe.  The googling says the program started in 1959.  That would have been before my time,  more like  mid-1960’s for me.

One reply on “Kadipus and Supidak”

Years ago, Morning Edition changed their format to a bi-coastal, two host conversational format. After growing up with Bob Edwards I was put off. It was too soft for me. Also more manpower (money) and the poor timing: Bob was not quite at 25 years as host. I refused to donate for a few years after that. That being said, I listen to it regularly, along with other NPR programs.

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