National Public Radio (NPR)

is an independent, private, non-profit membership organization of public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, which established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and also led to the creation of the Public Broadcasting Service. The network was founded in 1970 with 30 employees and 90 public radio stations as charter members.

Like its fellow public radio networks 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. In a Harris poll conducted in 2005, NPR was voted the most trusted news source in the US.

History

NPR was incorporated in 1970, taking over the National Educational Radio Network. 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 on May 3, hosted by 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 suffered an almost fatal setback in 1983 when an attempt to expand its services backfired, and the company found itself nearly seven million dollars in debt. After a Congressional investigation and the resignation of NPR's president, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting agreed to loan the network money to stave off bankruptcy. In exchange, NPR agreed to a new arrangement whereby its annual CPB stipend would be divided among local stations instead, which would then support NPR productions on a subscription basis. NPR also agreed to turn its satellite service into a cooperative venture, making it possible for non-NPR shows to get national distribution. It took NPR another three years to pay off all its debt.

ref: National Public Radio - Wikipedia