National Public Radio: Difference between revisions
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|date=22 October 2010|accessdate=2010-10-22 | |date=22 October 2010|accessdate=2010-10-22 | ||
|author=David S. Morgan}}</ref> | |author=David S. Morgan}}</ref> | ||
There has been a tendency to inflate the taxpayer contribution. Sen. [[Jim DeMint]] ([[U.S. Republican Party|Republican]]-[[South Carolina]]), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]] (CPB), said, “The incident with Mr. Williams shows that NPR is not concerned about providing the listening public with an honest debate of today’s issues, but rather with promoting a one-sided liberal agenda. The country is over $13 trillion in debt and Congress must find ways to start trimming the federal budget to cut spending. NPR and PBS get about 15 percent of their total budget through federal funding, so these programs should be able to find a way to stand on their own. With record debt and unemployment, there’s simply no reason to force taxpayers to subsidize a liberal programming they disagree with.” DeMint said he would inroduce legislation to stop all public funding of broadcasting. Rep. [[Doug Lamborn]] ([[U.S. Republican Party|Republican]]-[[Colorado]]) introduced similar legislation in the House in June 2010; that legislation has not left committee.<ref>{{citation | |||
| title = Politerati: Republican calls to defund NPR grow | |||
| author = Garance Frank-Ruta | |||
| journal = Who Runs Gov, a Washington Post publication | |||
| date = 22 October 2010 | accessdate = 2010-10-23 | |||
| url = http://www.whorunsgov.com/politerati/ink-stained-wretches/republican-calls-to-defund-npr-grow/}}</ref> | |||
==Technology== | ==Technology== | ||
Revision as of 12:44, 23 October 2010
National Public Radio (NPR) is a nonprofit corporation, created in 1970 by the quasi-governmental Corporation for Public Broadcasting but itself a private firm, which provides national news programming to public radio stations and conducts technology research and development. Approximately 250 stations receive its radio content, as well as a growing number receiving online media content.
Programming
Since 1971, NPR and its journalists and programs have won hundreds of awards including 30 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, 53 George Foster Peabody Awards, 37 awards from the White House News Photographers Association, 17 Webby Awards (which includes 4 Webby "Peoples' Voice" awards) and 19 awards from the Overseas Press Club of America..." Its newsmagazines, Morning Edition and All Things Considered, ranked #3 and #4 in the overall nationwide radio ratings. [1]
Financials
It is not solely government funded, but receives contributions and also is paid for services by client stations. While there are annual variations, approximately 6% of their funding from federal, state and local sources. They are largely self-supporting from fees for their products.[2]
There has been a tendency to inflate the taxpayer contribution. Sen. Jim DeMint (Republican-South Carolina), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), said, “The incident with Mr. Williams shows that NPR is not concerned about providing the listening public with an honest debate of today’s issues, but rather with promoting a one-sided liberal agenda. The country is over $13 trillion in debt and Congress must find ways to start trimming the federal budget to cut spending. NPR and PBS get about 15 percent of their total budget through federal funding, so these programs should be able to find a way to stand on their own. With record debt and unemployment, there’s simply no reason to force taxpayers to subsidize a liberal programming they disagree with.” DeMint said he would inroduce legislation to stop all public funding of broadcasting. Rep. Doug Lamborn (Republican-Colorado) introduced similar legislation in the House in June 2010; that legislation has not left committee.[3]
Technology
In its research and development programs, it is strongly involved with satellite services. It operates the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS), and has developed digital multicasting alternatives to analog broadcasting.
Politics
While it is officially politically neutral, it is often accused of liberal bias, especially by American conservatives. Several controversies recently have intensified this discussion, including accepting a large donation from George Soros' Open Society Foundation to hire station-level reporters for the "Impact of Government" program, and he firing of news analyst Juan Williams for comments he made on Fox News.
Part of the challenge comes from its perceived subsidized competition with right-wing political opinion broadcasting.
Impact of Government
The Open Society Foundation grant, of $1.8 million, is intended to finance the addition of two state government reporters at 50 radio stations. "Impact of Government...[will] better inform the public about the impact that the actions of state governments has on citizens and communities. The new initiative, which begins its pilot phase in March 2011..."[4]
Juan Williams
References
- ↑ Overview and History, National Public Radio
- ↑ David S. Morgan (22 October 2010), Opinions Enflamed Over Juan Williams Firing, CBS News. Retrieved on 2010-10-22
- ↑ Garance Frank-Ruta (22 October 2010), "Politerati: Republican calls to defund NPR grow", Who Runs Gov, a Washington Post publication. Retrieved on 2010-10-23
- ↑ Anna Christopher (18 October 2010), NPR Announces "Impact of Government", National Public Radio