Podcasts exist and NPR uses that format liberally. You can pick from several excellent podcast apps and access a lot of NPR’s content that way.
NPR also has an excellent website where you can listen to their content on mobile devices.
This app is a third way to access their content. It doesn’t make sense for everyone (if someone only listens to one NPR show – for example Planet Money – and also a lot of other, similar audio content from other sources I would recommend getting a podcast app they like; if someone only occasionally listens to NPR – for example when someone recommends them something specific – I would recommend just visiting the website), but it can make sense for certain people.
So no, NPR very much does not assume that you only want to listen to NPR. That’s a completely incorrect assumption on your part.
If you want everything get a podcast app. NPR has nothing against podcasts and you can get the right feeds from them. If NPR would want to discontinue offering podcast feeds you would have a point … but as it stands right now you just sound incoherent and uninformed.
Edit: Ok, there are several excellent podcast apps on iOS. No idea about Android, could be royally broken there, but I don’t really care. That platform is broken, anyway. More broken than iOS at least. Podcast apps on iOS are a healthy category with lots of competition and radically different approaches – so there should be an at least acceptable app for everyone.
NPR also has an excellent website where you can listen to their content on mobile devices.
This app is a third way to access their content. It doesn’t make sense for everyone (if someone only listens to one NPR show – for example Planet Money – and also a lot of other, similar audio content from other sources I would recommend getting a podcast app they like; if someone only occasionally listens to NPR – for example when someone recommends them something specific – I would recommend just visiting the website), but it can make sense for certain people.
So no, NPR very much does not assume that you only want to listen to NPR. That’s a completely incorrect assumption on your part.
If you want everything get a podcast app. NPR has nothing against podcasts and you can get the right feeds from them. If NPR would want to discontinue offering podcast feeds you would have a point … but as it stands right now you just sound incoherent and uninformed.
Edit: Ok, there are several excellent podcast apps on iOS. No idea about Android, could be royally broken there, but I don’t really care. That platform is broken, anyway. More broken than iOS at least. Podcast apps on iOS are a healthy category with lots of competition and radically different approaches – so there should be an at least acceptable app for everyone.