Wal-Mart Funds NPR, PBS & Scholarships

[rogerkirk]

According to an article in the NY Times, Wal-mart has
funded the Tavis Smiley talk show on Public Television
in California and has become a (sic) sponsor on NPR.

They also announced plans to to award $500,000 in 
scholarships to minority students at journalism 
programs around the country, including Howard 
University, University of Southern California and 
Columbia University.

...a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said the scholarships 
were "a first of their kind" for the retailer, and 
came about because of the recent publicity around 
its business practices. 

She also said there was "no hidden agenda here" 
...it probably would have been done even if 
Wal-Mart had not come under scrutiny.