Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
Washington, D.C., USA
National Public Radio (NPR) is a nonprofit public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an NPR West production center in Culver City, California. It serves as national syndicator to more than 1,000 member public radio stations, producing programs including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air and the Tiny Desk concert series.
NPR was incorporated February 26, 1970, under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to fund public radio and television. NPR's first president was broadcast journalist Don Quayle, overseeing 88 charter member stations and a staff of 65. Its first broadcast, live coverage of U.S. Senate hearings on the Vietnam War, aired April 20, 1971; All Things Considered debuted the following month. NPR nearly went bankrupt in 1983 with $7-9 million in debt, prompting a financial restructuring backed by CPB loans and a shift away from direct federal funding toward member station dues, foundation grants and corporate underwriting. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order ending public funding for NPR and PBS; NPR and PBS sued, and on March 31, 2026, a federal judge ruled the order unconstitutional retaliation that violated the First Amendment, blocking it. Separately, on January 5, 2026, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board voted to dissolve the organization after Congress rescinded $500 million in funding through the Rescissions Act of 2025.
President and CEO: Katherine Maher
Address
Washington, D.C.
Website
https://www.npr.org
Sources
Britannica. National Public Radio (NPR)
Influence Watch. National Public Radio (NPR)