National Public Radio

NPR as the organization is popularly known is the abbreviation for the National Public Radio. This organization is a non-profit membership media organization that is privately and publicly funded. It is a national syndicator to more than 800 public radio stations in the United States. Created in 1970, National Public Radio started off with Donald Quayle as the first president of the organization and 30 employees. It had 90 radio stations as charter members.

National Public Radio is an organization that distributes news programs and cultural programs but all the radio stations that it supports do not need to telecast all the programs that the organization produces. In most cases, the individual radio channels create their own programming content schedules by mixing telecasts of programs from National Public Radio and their rivals like American Public Media, Public Radio International and more. The radio programs are distributed using the Public Radio Satellite System, which also is managed by NR.

It is mandatory that all the member stations of National Public Radio are non-commercial or non-commercial educational radio stations. They also need to have at least 5 full time employees. The channel should operate at least 18 hours a day and it should not have been conceived merely for religious broadcasting or as a distance educational learning program.

The bulk of the revenue that National Public Radio receives is from programming fees, grants from businesses and foundations, contributions and sponsorships. About 50 percent of all revenue comes from the programming fee, reducing the load on grants and contributions. The contributions come in from air-pledge drives, corporate underwriting, local and state governments, educational institutions and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

National Public Radio does not carry any traditional radio commercials like other commercial radio channels. However, it does carry brief statements from major donors from time to time. These underwriting spots are governed by the FCC restrictions in addition to following truth-in- advertising laws.

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