Religious right preacher plots demise of National Public Radio. (People & Events).

Fans of National Public Radio (NPR) in some parts of the country have been in for a shock lately: Instead of "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition," they're hearing invective from a Mississippi-based Religious Right activist.

The switch comes because of a campaign by the Rev. Donald Wildmon, founder and head of the American Family Association (AFA) in Tupelo, Miss. Over the past few years, Wildmon has undertaken a concerted effort to knock NPR affiliates off the air and replace them with his own American Family Radio.

Wildmon's campaign was described in detail by The New York Times in September. The newspaper reported that Wildmon is taking advantage of a federal law that allows noncommercial broadcasters with licenses to operate full-power stations to push broadcasters with weaker signals off the airwaves.

In southwest Louisiana, Wildmon knocked two NPR affiliates off the air by overpowering their signals. In Lake Charles, NPR fans have mobilized to get public radio back. NPR is also fighting back and is building a $309,000 antenna about 30 miles from Lake Charles. Once completed, it will enable people in the area to pick up signals from the nearest NPR affiliate, KRVS in Lafayette.

Wildmon has been quietly building a radio empire. He owns 194 stations nationwide and is adding more. His staff is unapologetic about what they do to NPR stations.

"NPR people should really be embarrassed," Patrick Vaughn, a lawyer for American Family Radio, told The Times. "They knew for years that we had applied [for noncommercial stations], and they didn't do anything about it. NPR people were drawing money out of the community in the form of pledge support, but they didn't bother to apply for a full-power station. It is not our fault."

Religious broadcasters, the paper reported, are quickly snapping up available noncommercial stations. According to The Times, "In the first two quarters of 2002, there were 14 sales of noncommercial stations. Of those, public radio groups bought only two."

Vaughn denied that Wildmon has deliberately targeted NPR, although he freely admitted to The Times that his boss hates public radio.

"He detests the news that the public gets through NPR and believes it is slanted from a distinctly liberal and secular perspective," Vaughn said.

Ironically, Wildmon's programming does little to serve local communities. His stations play pre-packaged programs beamed in from Wildmon's Tupelo headquarters. There is often no local content. In Lake Charles, the two stations Wildmon owns are overseen by one employee, who works from an empty house that is devoid of transmitting equipment.

Wildmon stations feature programs like "Phyllis Schlafly Report," "Home School Heartbeat" and news from a Religious Right perspective. Wildmon, who is best known for leading a media decency crusade in the 1970s, frequently launches boycotts against companies that advertise on television programs that he does not like.