Editing Bob Edwards (section)

===Departure from NPR===
In April 2004, NPR executives decided to "freshen up" ''Morning Edition''{{'}}s sound. Edwards was removed as host, replaced with [[Steve Inskeep]] and [[Renée Montagne]],<ref name=":0" /> and reassigned as a senior correspondent for NPR News. The move took him by surprise. "I'd rather stay," he said, "but it's not my decision to make".<ref name="nydailynews1"/>

At first, NPR executives and spokespersons did not fully explain the move, leaving many listeners confused.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4586432 |title=Bob Edwards out as ''Morning Edition'' host |department=Business – US business |work=NBC News |date=March 23, 2004 |access-date=July 31, 2011  |archive-date=October 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020094536/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4586432/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Eventually they did make some attempts to explain themselves. According to NPR spokeswoman Laura Gross, "It's part of a natural evolution. A new host will bring new ideas and perspectives to the show. Bob's voice will still be heard; he'll still be a tremendous influence on the show. We just felt it was time for a change".<ref name=":0" />

Executive Vice President [[Ken Stern]] also explained the move. "This change in ''Morning Edition'' is part of the ongoing evaluation of all NPR programming that has taken place over the last several years. We've looked at shows like ''All Things Considered'' and ''Talk of the Nation'' with an eye to how we can best serve listeners in the future."<ref name="nydailynews1"/>

The decision to remove Edwards, made shortly before his 25th anniversary with the show, was met with much criticism by listeners.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Jeffrey Dvorkin, NPR's ombudsman, reported that the network received over 50,000 letters and emails, most of them angry, regarding Edwards' demotion; the listener reaction was the largest reaction on a single subject that NPR had received to that date.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Peter |url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2004-03-23-npr-edwards_x.htm |title=Edwards ousted as 'Morning Edition' host |publisher=Usatoday.Com |date=March 25, 2004 |access-date=July 31, 2011  |archive-date=May 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523220648/http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2004-03-23-npr-edwards_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dvorkin |first=Jeffrey A. |date=April 28, 2004 |title=Bob Edwards Reassigned: Ageism or Just Change? |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/publiceditor/2004/04/28/1854657/bob-edwards-reassigned-ageism-or-just-change |access-date=February 12, 2024 |work=NPR |archive-date=June 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624204657/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1854657 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other journalists, including [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s [[Cokie Roberts]] and [[CBS]]'s [[Charles Osgood]], expressed dissatisfaction with the move.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

His final broadcast<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3&prgDate=30-Apr-2004 |title=Morning Edition |publisher=NPR |date=May 31, 2006 |access-date=July 31, 2011 |archive-date=December 13, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213115539/http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgDate=April |url-status=live }}</ref> as host was on April 30, 2004;<ref name="npr2024" /><ref>{{cite web |author=Morning Edition |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1863340 |title=Interview: Charles Osgood |website=NPR.org |publisher=NPR |access-date=July 31, 2011  |archive-date=May 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505081738/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1863340 |url-status=live }}</ref> his last ''Morning Edition'' interview was with Charles Osgood, who had also been Edwards' first Morning Edition interview subject almost 25&nbsp;years earlier.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="npr2024" />

Edwards decided not to remain at NPR as a senior correspondent and filed only one story, an interview with [[Bob Dole]] and other Senate veterans of World War&nbsp;II about the Washington, DC, World War&nbsp;II memorial, in that role.{{cn|date=February 2024}} Three months after his departure from ''Morning Edition'', [[XM Satellite Radio]] announced that he had signed on to host a new program, ''The Bob Edwards Show'', for its new XM Public Radio channel.{{cn|date=February 2024}}