Traditional media organizations continue to struggle with the growth of new media and new distribution methods for their content. In the case of National Public Radio, which has been recognized as a leader in new media distribution through its use of podcasts, online news and social media, the future turned out to be too scary for many local NPR affiliates, who see the new ventures as a threat to their existence.

NPR's CEO Ken Stern was forced out Thursday after less than 18 months on the job. Stern was credited with a number of creative and financial successes during his short stay as the network's chief executive. He helped build a tiny endowment fund to over $300 million and NPR's audience doubled to 26 million listeners per week on his watch. He was also a champion for innovations in new media delivery through iPods and cell phones.

Local affiliates, however, saw these new media strategies as potentially detrimental to their own financial situations. They argued that if NPR listeners can get programming delivered online or on a handheld device, there's less reason for them to tune in to their local NPR station - and help pay for local programming through donations.

They're right, in the short run, but trying to stop the pace of change to digital distribution is pointless. Radio, like newspapers and magazines, is experiencing significant changes due to the rise of digital distribution of content, and the innovations Stern brought to NPR will have to continue regardless of who the network hires as its next CEO.

UPDATE (3/8/2008): Jeff Jarvis also commented on Stern's firing on BuzzMachine on Friday, including the following observation:

I just fear that defining radio around towers and their location — like defining newspapers around presses and theirs — is dangerous.

Jeff also had a comment from the interim CEO, Dennis Haarsager, who says that the speculation that the move might mean a slowing of NPR's new media strategies is wrong. He comments that "If station management wanted to kill off or slow down emerging media, their board picked the wrong boy. Read my blog archives for the past four years." Here's Dennis Haarsager's blog.