Aside from occasional repeat viewings of the ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch starring Alec Baldwin as the legendary NPR guest Pete Schweddy, you may not spend much time thinking about public radio — but its continued health and viability are important to a lot of people, and they’re paying tribute to it during April as part of national Public Radio Month.

It was in that spirit that a long (and we do mean long) list of artists recently signed a thank-you letter to public radio, including — deep breath — Trey Anastasio of Phish, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Jack White, My Morning Jacket, the Roots, Tenacious D, Death Cab for Cutie, MGMT, M. Ward, the Head and the Heart, and Deer Tick. And seriously, those are just a few of the names; check out the whole thing right here for proof.

And why are they thanking public radio? We’re glad you asked. “Thank you for taking chances,” reads the note. “Thank you for playing our music even when – especially when – it doesn’t sound like everything else on the radio dial. Thank you for inviting us into your studios and asking us intelligent questions. Thank you for introducing us to some of the most important music in our lives, music that made us who we are.”

So remember to spend a little more time on the public end of your radio dial this month, and follow the continuing series of tributes at the official site. You might just fall in love with something you’ve never heard before.

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