Richard Estell

Richard Estell started in broadcasting in the late 1940s for a small commercial radio station in Michigan. In 1955, he joined the staff at WKAR at Michigan State University as a producer and Chief Announcer. From 1962 to 1978, he served as manager of WKAR AM and FM. At the time of the interview, he was Senior Producer at WKAR. He was very active in the national formation of public radio, particularly during the formation of the Corporation of Public Radio (CPB) and National Public Radio (NPR). Estell served on the first NPR Board of Directors, and later chaired the board. He also served as Chair of the Board of National Educational Radio.

In this interview, Estell compares public radio with the operation of a typical educational radio station of the 1950s. He also describes the joys and the struggles involved in the formation of National Public Radio and the live interconnect.

People

• Edwin Burrows
• Kenneth Kager
• John W. Macy
• Bernard Mayes
• Robert Mott
• Donald Quayle
• Jim Robertson
• Bill Siemering
• John Witherspoon
• Elizabeth L. Young

• All Things Considered
• educational radio
• National Association of Educational Broadcasters
• National Educational Radio
• National Educational Radio Network
• National Public Radio
• public radio
• WKAR

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