NPR

For other uses, see NPR (disambiguation).

National Public Radio
TypePublic radio network
Country
United States
First air date
April 20, 1971;
53 years ago (1971-04-20)
AvailabilityGlobal
FoundedFebruary 26, 1970;
54 years ago (1970-02-26)
EndowmentIncrease $342.3 million (2023)[1]
RevenueIncrease $318.7 million (2023)[1]
Negative increase $−4.45 million (2023)[1]
Headquarters
Broadcast area
Key people
Katherine Maher (CEO)
Former names
Affiliation(s)WRN Broadcast
Official website
npr.org

National Public Radio (NPR, stylized as npr) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California.[2] It serves as a national syndicator to a network of more than 1,000 public radio stations in the United States.[3] It differs from other non-profit membership media organizations, such as the Associated Press, in that it was established by an act of Congress.[4]

Funding for NPR comes from dues and fees paid by member stations, underwriting from corporate sponsors, and annual grants from the publicly funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting.[5] Most of its member stations are owned by non-profit organizations, including public school districts, colleges, and universities. NPR operates independently of any government or corporation, and has full control of its content.[6]

NPR produces and distributes both news and cultural programming. The organization's flagship shows are two drive-time news broadcasts: Morning Edition and the afternoon All Things Considered, both carried by most NPR member stations, and among the most popular radio programs in the country.[7][8] As of March 2018, the drive-time programs attract an audience of 14.9 million and 14.7 million per week, respectively.[9]

NPR manages the Public Radio Satellite System, which distributes its programs and other programming from independent producers and networks such as American Public Media and Public Radio Exchange, and which also acts as a primary entry point for the Emergency Alert System. Its content is also available on-demand online, on mobile networks, and in many cases, as podcasts.[10] Several NPR stations also carry programs from British public broadcaster BBC World Service.

  1. ^ a b c "National Public Radio 2023 and 2022 Consolidated Financial Statements" (PDF). National Public Radio. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  2. ^ Kuypers, Melissa (November 14, 2012). "Ten Years in Tinsel Town: NPR West Celebrates a Decade". NPR. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  3. ^ "Audience". NPR. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  4. ^ "Public Broadcasting Act of 1967". January 14, 2015. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  5. ^ "Public Radio Finances". NPR. June 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  6. ^ Roberts, Cokie; Stamberg, Susan; Adams, Noah; Ydstie, John; Montagne, Renée; Shapiro, Ari; Folkenflik, David, eds. (2012). This Is NPR: The First Forty Years. Chronicle Books. p. 433. ISBN 9781452120218.
  7. ^ "All Things Considered". National Public Media. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2016. Heard by 13.3 million people on 814 radio stations each week, All Things Considered is one of the most popular programs in America.
  8. ^ Mitchell, Jack W. (2005). Listener supported: the culture and history of public radio. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-275-98352-9. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2020. Conceived as "alternatives", Morning Edition and All Things Considered are the second and third most listened-to radio programs in the ...
  9. ^ "NPR Maintains Highest Ratings Ever". NPR. March 28, 2018. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  10. ^ "Podcast Directory". NPR. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2018.