What things about NPR broadcasts bother you, other than the content?

There seem to be certain stylistic tics that I hear on NPR programs such as Terri Gross and other interviews. Several of them really annoy me. They seem to be planned because they are very consistent. One we have discussed here before is the use of “So..” consistently as the start of an answer to a question. Another is the use of the present tense when the story is about a past event. “So, Gary Hart goes to Florida and rents a sailboat…” Another is Terri Gross constantly repeating the first and last name of the interviewee, “Well, John Doe…..” Another is the younger reporter’s rising inflection at the end of a declarative sentence.

I love NPR – don’t get me wrong – but some things really annoy me about it. Some of these reflect changes in the language at large but some seem NPR-centric. Again, not looking to discuss content, just verbal and grammatical quirks. Your thoughts?