National Public Radio
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NPR redirects here. For other meanings of NPR, see NPR (disambiguation).National Public Radio (
NPR) is an independent, private, not-for-profit membership organization of public radio stations in the
United States.
[ How NPR Works: NPR's Mission Statement] NPR was created in
1970, following the passage of the
Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 which established the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting and also led to the creation of the
Public Broadcasting Service. The network was founded on
February 26,
1970, headed by Robert Conley with a partnership of talented journalists, with 30 employees and 90 public radio stations as charter members.
Like its competitors,
American Public Media and
Public Radio International, NPR produces and distributes news and cultural programming. Its member stations are not required to broadcast all of these programs and most public radio stations broadcast programs from all three providers. Its flagship programs are two
drive time news broadcasts,
Morning Edition and the afternoon
All Things Considered; both are carried by nearly all NPR affiliates and in
2002 were the second- and third-most popular radio programs in the country.
Morning Edition has been the network's most popular program since
1979. In a Harris poll conducted in 2005, NPR was voted the most trusted news source in the US. [
1]
NPR hit the airwaves in April,
1971 with coverage of the
United States Senate hearings on the
Vietnam War. The next month,
All Things Considered debuted, hosted by NPR founder Robert Conley. NPR was merely a production and distribution organization until 1977, when it merged with the Association of Public Radio Stations. As a membership organization, NPR was now charged with providing stations with training, program promotion, and management; representing public radio before Congress; and providing content delivery mechanisms such as satellite delivery.
NPR is a membership corporation. Member stations are required to be noncommercial or educational radio stations with at least five full time professional employees, operate at least 18 hours per day, and not designed solely to further a religious philosophy or for classroom programming. Each member designates an Authorized Station Representative (A-Rep) to represent them at NPR board meetings. Meetings occur once a year, and each A-Rep, no matter what audience size he or she represents, has one vote.
To oversee the day to day operations of NPR and prepare its budget, members elect a Board of Directors. On the Board, there are ten A-Reps, five members of the general public, and the chair of the NPR Foundation. Terms are for three years and rotate such that some stand for election every year.
The original "purposes" of NPR, as ratified by the Board of Directors, are the following:
*Provide an identifiable daily product which is consistent and reflects the highest standards of broadcast journalism.
*Provide extended coverage of public events, issues and ideas, and to acquire and produce special public affairs programs.
*Acquire and produce cultural programs which can be scheduled individually by stations.
*Provide access to the intellectual and cultural resources of cities, universities and rural districts through a system of cooperative program development with member public radio stations.
*Develop and distribute programs for specific groups (adult education, instruction, modular units for local productions) which may meet needs of individual regions or groups, but may not have general national relevance.
*Establish liaison with foreign broadcasters for a program exchange service.
*Produce materials specifically intended to develop the art and technical potential of radio. [
2]
The NPR Web site offers
NPR annual reports, 990s, and audited financial statements. According to the most recent 2005 financial statement, currently NPR makes just over half of its money from the fees and dues it charges member stations to receive programming. About 2% of NPR's funding comes from bidding on government grants and programs (chiefly the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting); the remainder comes from member station dues, foundation grants, and corporate underwriting. NPR member stations raise money through on-air
pledge drives, during which programming is interrupted and listeners are encouraged to donate money to keep the station on the air.
Note that the 2% figure above refers only to money contributed by the federal government
directly to NPR. Additional government money makes its way to NPR
indirectly. This is because the government (again chiefly the Corporation for Public Broadcasting) provides some funding to NPR member stations, in addition to the funding provided to NPR itself. Since the government contributes to member stations and member stations in turn contribute to NPR (in the form of dues), it may make sense, in certain contexts, to regard the government's portion of NPR's budget as significantly higher than 2%.
Over the years, the portion of the total NPR
budget that comes from government has been decreasing. During the
1970s and early
1980s, the majority of NPR funding came from the government. Steps were being taken during the 1980s to completely wean NPR from government support, but a major funding crisis in
1983, which almost led to the demise of the network, brought about more rapid shifts in NPR's funding setup. More money to fund the NPR network was raised from listeners, charitable
foundations and
corporations, and less from the government.
In 1995, two "well-meaning but misguided students" (in the
official words of the
University of Northern Colorado) started an e-mail petition claiming that
"[on] NPR's Morning Edition, Nina Tottenberg (sic)
said that if the Supreme Court supports Congress , it will, in effect, be the end of the National Public Radio (NPR)..." Although the funding crisis passed, the chain letter continues to circulate on the Internet. (See
NPR's statement on the petition.)
In contrast to commercial radio, NPR does not carry traditional
commercials, but has
advertising[
3] in the form of brief statements from major donors, such as
Wal-Mart,
Merck and
Archer Daniels Midland. These statements are called
underwriting spots, not commercials, and are bound by FCC restrictions unlike commercials; they cannot advocate a product or contain any "call to action." Critics of NPR have complained that describing public radio as "commercial free" is "transparently false"[
4]. In 2005 corporate sponsorship made up
23% of the NPR budget. Since NPR is not as dependent on advertising revenue as commercial stations, its programming decisions may be less ratings-driven. Some listeners have stopped listening to NPR member stations due to NPR underwriting statements[
5].
On
November 6,
2003, NPR was given over $225 million from the estate of the late
Joan B. Kroc, the widow of
Ray Kroc, founder of
McDonald's Corporation. This was a record—the largest monetary gift ever to a cultural institution.[
6] In 2003 the annual budget of NPR was $101 million. In 2004 that number increased by over 50% to $153 million due to the Kroc gift, as the bequest required that $34 million be spent to shore up operating reserves.[
7] NPR has dedicated the earnings from the remainder of the bequest to expanding its news staff and reducing some member stations' fees. The 2005 budget was about $120 million.
NPR's major production facilities have been based in
Washington, D.C. since its creation. On
November 2,
2002, a
West Coast production facility, dubbed
NPR West, opened in
Culver City, California. NPR opened NPR West to improve its coverage of the western United States, to expand its production capabilities (shows produced there include
News & Notes with Ed Gordon and
Day to Day), and to create a fully functional backup production facility capable of keeping NPR on the air in the event of a catastrophe in Washington, D.C.
According to a 2003
Washington Monthly story, about 20 million listeners tune into NPR each week. On average they are 50 years old and earn an annual income of $78,000. Its audience is predominantly
white; only about 10% are either
African American or
Hispanic. Many of its listeners consider NPR to be at the apex of
journalistic integrity, while critics argue that it is not fully representative of the nation's diversity. While
Arbitron does track public radio listenership, they do not include public radio in their published rankings of radio stations.
From
1999 through
2004, listenership has increased by about 66%. This increase may have been the result of one of a number of factors, including audience interest in coverage of the
September 11 attacks and the subsequent military actions, a general lack of interest in other terrestrial radio outlets, and an increase in NPR news and talk programming (instead of
jazz music). NPR attracted these new listeners at the same time that the size of the overall radio audience in the United States was decreasing rapidly as people abandoned the medium in favor of
mp3 players and
satellite radio.
In recent years, NPR has made some changes to appeal to younger listeners and to minority groups. From
2002 until
2004,
Tavis Smiley hosted a show targeted towards African Americans, but left the network, claiming that the organization did not provide enough support to make his production truly successful. (Smiley returned to public radio in April 2005 with a weekly show distributed by
PRI.) NPR stations have long been known for carrying
classical music, but the amount of classical programming carried on NPR stations and other public radio outlets in the U.S. has been declining. Many stations have shifted toward carrying more news, while others have shifted to feature more contemporary music that attracts a younger audience.
Programs produced by NPR
News and public affairs programs
NPR produces a morning and an afternoon news program, both of which also have weekend editions with different hosts. It also produces hourly news briefs around the clock. NPR formerly distributed the
World Radio Network, a daily compilation of news reports from international radio news, but no longer does so.
*
All Things Considered, hosted by
Robert Siegel,
Michele Norris and
Melissa Block**
Weekend All Things Considered, hosted by
Deborah Elliott*
Day to Day, a collaboration with
Slate magazine; hosted by
Alex Chadwick and
Madeline Brand that airs during the midday period
*
Morning Edition, hosted by
Steve Inskeep and
Renée Montagne**
Weekend Edition Saturday, hosted by
Scott Simon**
Weekend Edition Sunday, hosted by
Liane Hansen**
Radio Expeditions (with the
National Geographic Society)
*
Talk of the Nation: public affairs call-in (host
Neal Conan)
**
Talk of the Nation - Science Friday science issues call-in (host
Ira Flatow)
*
News & Notes with Ed Gordon: black/race/diversity issues
Cultural programming
* In 2000, NPR co-produced and distributed
2000X, a
Hollywood Theater of the Ear production of science fiction radio plays, presented as part of
NPR Playhouse*
Earplay: innovative radio drama anthology (
1971–
1981)
*
Jazz Profiles (host
Nancy Wilson,
NPR Jazz)
*
NPR World of Opera: (host
Lisa Simeone)
*
Performance Today: classical music (weekday host
Fred Child, weekend host
Korva Coleman)
*
SymphonyCast: international orchestral performances (host
Korva Coleman)
*
The Thistle & Shamrock: Celtic music (host
Fiona Ritchie)
*
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: the (humorous) NPR News quiz (with
Chicago Public Radio)
Programs distributed by NPR
News and public affairs programs
*
On Point: public affairs call-in (host
Tom Ashbrook, (
WBUR)
*
The Diane Rehm Show: public affairs call-in (host
Diane Rehm,
WAMU)
*
Fresh Air: interviews (host
Terry Gross,
WHYY-FM) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the show is known for interviews with guests from literature, politics, journalism, science, music, film, and more.
*
Latino USA: Latino issues (host
Maria Hinojosa,
KUT)
*
Justice Talking: legal issues (host
Margot Adler,
University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center)
*
Living on Earth: environmental issues (host
Steve Curwood)
*
On the Media: media issues (hosts
Brooke Gladstone and
Bob Garfield,
WNYC)
*
American RadioWorks: provider of documentaries on
Morning Edition and
All Things Considered (host
Ray Suarez, (
American Public Media))
Cultural programming
*
Car Talk: humorous car advice (
WBUR)
*
JazzSet (host
Dee Dee Bridgewater, (
WBGO)
*
Only A Game: sports issues (host
Bill Littlefield,
WBUR)
*
Piano Jazz (host
Marian McPartland,
South Carolina Educational Radio)
*
Says You!: word game show (
WGBH)
*
Selected Shorts: dramatic readings (host
Isaiah Sheffer,
Symphony Space,
WNYC)
*
Sunday Baroque: Baroque music (host
Suzanne Bona (
WSHU)
*
The Business:
film industry news (host
Claude Brodesser,
KCRW)
World Cafe: (host
David Dye,
WXPN)
Public radio programs not affiliated with NPR
Individual NPR stations can broadcast programming from sources that have no formal affiliation with NPR.
*
Earth & Sky: A clear voice for science, nature and people in a complex world, with hosts Deborah Byrd and Joel Block
*
The Sound of Young America: Interviews and comedy, host Jesse Thorn, Santa Cruz, CA.
*
Music from the Hearts of Space:
New Age (host Stephen Hill), Sausalito, CA.
*
Here and Now: news, current affairs and culture (host
Robin Young,
WBUR)
*
Jazz from Lincoln Center (
Wynton Marsalis, host
Ed Bradley,
Murray Street Productions)
*
The Merrow Report: education issues (host
John Merrow,
Learning Matters Inc.)
*
Forum: Call-in panel discussion show, wide-ranging national and local topics (host
Michael Krasny),
KQED.
*
Planetary Radio:
space exploration radio show (host
Mat Kaplan, The
Planetary Society, Pasadena, CA),
KUCI,
WMUH,
WSDL,
KAWC.
*
Ask Dr. Science: nonsequitur science humor [
8]
Many shows produced or distributed by
Public Radio International, such as
This American Life and
Whad'Ya Know?, are broadcast by NPR member stations, although the shows are not affiliated with NPR. Other popular shows, like
A Prairie Home Companion and
Marketplace, are produced by
American Public Media, long known as
Minnesota Public Radio. The
Pacifica Radio Network also provides some programming to some NPR affiliates, notably the news program
Democracy Now!.
Podcasts
Many NPR affiliates offer the programs they produce as
podcasts.
alt.NPR is a series of
podcast-only programs distributed by NPR, such as
On Gambling with Mike Pesca, Groove Salad, and
Youthcast. They are designed to appeal to a younger audience.
Many
conservative Republicans have alleged that the network tailors its content to the preferences of an audience drawn from a
liberal "educated
elite." While members of NPR's audience
are more likely to be college educated than those who listen to other radio outlets, the liberal
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, a media watchdog group, disputes the claim of a
liberal bias. (See [
9].) Conservative media watchdog groups such as the
Media Research Center document examples of what they contend is liberal bias by NPR and NPR personnel. [
10]
Left-wing activists have alleged that NPR caters to its corporate funders and shies away from controversial topics. Many believe that NPR avoids the sort of journalism that would embarrass the likes of
Monsanto,
Archer Daniels Midland, or
Wal-Mart, since these companies are among the largest single private donors to NPR programming, although coverage of the government's investigation into Archer Daniels Midland in the late 1990s or the nearly 1000 features the network has produced about Wal-Mart in the last decade might indicate otherwise. In addition to the perception of avoiding direct criticism of corporate sponsors, NPR has had very real threats of funding cuts from the Republican-led House of Representatives.
African-American community activists have criticized NPR for not being responsive to their interests and those of other minority ethnic groups.
Tavis Smiley, a well-known
black talk-show host, resigned from NPR claiming that NPR did not effectively promote his daily program to minority communities. In addition, he received complaints from listeners stating that his sound was too harsh and grating for public radio. In 2005, Smiley returned to public radio with a weekly program distributed by
Public Radio International.
American pop culture is fond of referring to the allegedly dull nature of public radio shows. For example,
The Simpsons parodied
Garrison Keillor's comedic monologues on his
American Public Media show
A Prairie Home Companion, with a character who dressed in a bow tie, spoke monotonously , and expected the audience to laugh at jokes that were not funny. [
11]
Saturday Night Live had a recurring segment called
The Delicious Dish, a parody of public radio weekend programs modeled on the program
Good Food, produced by NPR member station
KCRW in Santa Monica. The hosts (played by
Ana Gasteyer and
Molly Shannon) speak in saccharine, hushed tones about their favorite recipes.
Another common criticism of public broadcasting, including NPR, is the frequency of pledge drives. Individual contributions through pledge drives and other fundraising account for the majority of station revenue at most NPR member stations. For many years, most public radio stations did two one-week pledge drives per year. To the dismay of listeners and staffers alike, some stations now hold pledge drives quarterly. Some listeners feel that there is a connection between pledge drives and programming, and are upset when programming on member stations for which they pledged is cut.
Unlike other radio networks, such as , NPR does not produce local or regional content. Instead, each member station must create local news and other programming. This approach means that there is a great variety in the format of member station broadcasts. While this variety may reflect the diversity of the communities in which NPR stations are found, it may come at a sacrifice to uniform quality across the network.
In 2003, some critics accused NPR of being duplicitously pro
invasion of Iraq. [
12] [
13]
A 2004 FAIR study concluded that "NPR's guestlist shows the radio service relies on the same elite and influential sources that dominate mainstream commercial news, and falls short of reflecting the diversity of the American public". [
14]
Supporters contend that NPR does its job remarkably well. A study, conducted in 2003 by the polling firm Knowledge Networks and the
University of Maryland's
Program on International Policy Attitudes, showed that those who get their news and information from public broadcasting (NPR and
PBS) are better informed than those whose information comes from other media outlets, including cable and broadcast TV networks and the print media. In particular, 80% of Fox News viewers held one of three common misperceptions about the Iraq War; only 23% of NPR listeners /PBS viewers were similarly misinformed.[
15], [
16]
*
List of NPR personnel*
Public Broadcasting Service*
Public Radio International*
Pacifica Radio*
BBC Radio*
Kevin Klose*
CBC*
National Public Radio website*
alt.NPR - NPR
podcasts
*
National Public Radio Purposes -
mission statement by William H. Siemering, first program director of NPR.
*
FY 2003 NPR Operating Expenses (NPR, 2003 - PDF)
*
PublicRadioFan.com (Program listings for hundreds of public radio stations)*
CAMERA NPR Watch (Committe for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America)*J. Max Robins, "
US Army Psy-ops personnel assigned to CNN, NPR" TV Guide, April 15, 2000.
