THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH AD REVENUE:

NHPR is punching above its weight in the podcast world. It has produced successes like the environmental program Outside/In, which has won prestigious national awards; the government how-to show Civics 101, such a surprise hit with educators that it may be extended beyond its original run; and the true-crime podcast Bear Brook, which had been downloaded 1.1 million times as of Friday and nearly topped the iTunes version of the hit parade.

But NHPR also has to figure out how a station that has thrived via a half-century-old fundraising model will handle the financial transition that podcasting brings.

Public radio is very good at getting listeners and corporations, who hear the same programs at the same time, to give money, not just because they like a show but because they like the station as a whole. The question is how that can translate to a world where listeners are increasingly likely to hear only separate, distinct programs at scattered times.

Will NHPR have to depend on straightforward advertising in its podcasts like commercial TV, or subscription models like Netflix, or luring people into opening their wallets for exclusive content like some online newspapers? Or will something else entirely come along?

"We've been putting a process into place to figure out how we can do things moving forward. We understand that this is the future and we want to be there. But we have to figure not only should we do this, but can we do this?" said Maureen McMurray, director of content for the station.

"The revenue piece has to go there, too. But if you don't invest in the on-demand programming now ... at a certain point you're not going to exist," she said.

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