NPR - trivia in all the wrong places

I was just wondering - has anyone noticed how NPR lately uses little no-news trivia transition elements between stories? These interstitial pieces almost have a "News of the Weird" quality to them. I've been noticing them during the AM broadcasts.

When I heard the first one a month or so back, I almost thought my radio dial got nudged over to the next frequency by mistake. But not so.

I am perplexed. Am I just imagining this or is there anyone out there as equally at odds with the new stylistic element?