Happy 40th Anniversary, 'Morning Edition'! Bob Edwards, Bloopers And The Night Owls That Make It Happen

Plus, a look at how 'Morning Edition' almost wasn't a part of the program.

Celebrate 40 Years Of 'Morning Edition' With Us! And Get A Peek Into How It's Done George Geesey/NPR 'Morning Edition' almost didn't make the cut.  NPR celebrated Morning Edition's 40th anniversary on Nov. 5. The show has covered seven presidents, two Persian Gulf wars, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and nine Star Wars movies. But the show was almost canceled before it even started — and there were obstacles to just keeping it on the air. "They did this pilot with the original staff, and it was awful," said Bob Edwards, who hosted the program from 1979 to 2004. The pilot played over closed circuit for NPR member stations' news and program directors, who complained that the show sounded too much like commercial all-news radio. A number of staff changes later, including new hosts  Edwards and Barbara Hoctor, and the show that almost wasn’t became an NPR listener favorite.  Four Decades Covering Politics, Science And Identity Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Political stories that defined an era and beyond.  Forty years ago this week, Morning Edition took to the air for the first time just as a big story was breaking — one that would shock the nation and influence the next four decades of news: the Iran hostage crisis. Through these four decades, there have been several big, persistent stories that just never seemed to go away. (Listening time, 6:54) ► LISTEN How science has changed.  In 1981, Morning Edition aired a story about a strange set of cancers called Kaposi's sarcoma. No one knew it at the time, but those cases were the first indication of the AIDS epidemic that was to come. And that story was the first mention of the disease on NPR. AIDS is just one of the diseases scientists have made progress controlling during the Morning Edition era. (Listening time, 6:48) ► LISTEN 40 years in race, culture and identity.  How — and to whom — should America distribute its resources? Who gets to be American? Those were the questions roiling the country 40 years ago this week when Morning Edition debuted. Here is our survey of some of the major issues involving race and identity from the past 40 years. (Listening time, 7:16) ► LISTEN Newsletter continues after sponsor message Bloopers And Dog Barks Moments of perfect imperfections.  NPR The show revisits some of its perfect imperfections. Among them is a blooper from 1990, when Cokie Roberts' basset hound, Abner, demanded his breakfast outside her home broadcast studio. The unscheduled appearance turned Abner into a public radio folk hero. Listeners couldn't get enough. (Listening time, 3:30) ► LISTEN The Day It All Began Bob Edwards and Barbara Hoctor interview a young Martin Sheen.   Max Hirshfeld/NPR Hosted by Bob Edwards and Barbara Hoctor, Morning Edition’s first show included an interview with a young actor named Martin Sheen about Apocalypse Now; a report on a failed prison escape by James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr.; and a story about Rhodesia, a country that no longer exists. (Listening time, 3:11) ► LISTEN The Night Owls And Early Birds That Make It Happen While you sleep, NPR's Morning Edition team pulls the show together.  NPR Have you ever wondered how Morning Edition puts on a show so early? Well, it's thanks to our 24-hour staff. Today we're celebrating 40 years of overnights. Here's a look inside!  — By Suzette Lohmeyer What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: bestofnpr@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can  sign up here. Looking for more great content?  Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy