Organizer of Occupy D.C. in U.S. fired from radio program

An organizer of the Occupy D.C. movement was fired from a program broadcast on the National Public Radio (NPR), according to protest organizers on Thursday. Lisa Simeone, who hosts programs broadcast on the taxpayer- subsidized network, was fired a day earlier from Soundprint, a documentary series produced by an outside company, but aired by an NPR affiliate. Simeone serves as an organizer for the Occupy D.C. movement, and conservative websites questioned her participation in the protests, accusing her of violating NPR's code of ethics. Simeone is not an employee of NPR. In addition to Soundprint, she worked as a freelancer to host the nationally syndicated show World of Opera, produced by classical radio station WDAV based in Davidson, North Carolina. However, according to protest organizers, upon learning Simeone's participation in the protests, the network "persuaded a company for which Simeone worked to fire her, cutting her income in half and purging from the so-called public airwaves a voice that had never mentioned politics on NPR." Anna Christopher, a NPR spokeswoman, confirmed Simeone as a freelancer who is under contract with WDAV. Christopher said in a NPR blogpost the network is taking the matter "seriously," but denied pressuring her firing from Soundprint. Christopher said that NPR has only been communicating with WDAV on the situation. Organizers of the protests said that Simeone was fired by executive producer of Soundprint on Wednesday, who told her over phone that she had violated NPR's code of ethics. However, NPR said on Thursday that WDAV decided Simeone will continue to host World of Opera.