Counting on NPR

National Public Radio chief Kevin Klose came to Cape Girardeau last week to help celebrate KRCU-FM's 15th year as an NPR affiliate. Klose said NPR's health is strong. Listenership is now 26 million, doubling in just the last six and one-half years. Klose attributes much of that increase to the public hunger for news since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Two NPR programs. "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," are among the most listened-to radio shows in the nation.

KRCU has been broadcasting on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University for 30 years. Soon the addition of a repeater station in Farmington, Mo., will boost KRCU's listener base to 1.9 million people.

The public radio station and NPR provide music and programming not found anywhere else on the local radio dial. They enrich life in Southeast Missouri.