NPR Stations and Public Media

The links between NPR and member stations are many and deep. At the core, we share a mission to inform the public, increase understanding of the world and enrich the experience of everyday life.

The NPR Member Station Network
In an era of media consolidation and corporate ownership, the stations that make up our coast-to-coast network are among a declining number of locally owned and operated broadcasters.

Our network is the 2nd largest radio group in America, with 268 independent member organizations operating 774 stations nationwide. Another 146 public radio stations broadcast NPR programming but are not members. All told, that's 920 stations carrying NPR programming across the nation and territories, heard by 26.8 million people every week.

Member stations provide NPR's largest source of operating revenue. They pay fees for the programs they chose to broadcast, such as Morning Edition and Car Talk, and they broadcast the national sponsorship credits heard in NPR programs, ("Support for NPR comes from..."). This is just one reason why NPR strongly encourages fans to contribute to their local stations - strong stations literally make a strong NPR possible.

In addition to airing NPR programming, stations are partners in newsgathering; they provide hundreds of news pieces every year, putting NPR News on the scene wherever news happens. They bring local flavor, relevance, and perspective to NPR's programs, with local reporters and hosts who are deeply familiar with the issues, events and people they cover. Station reporting makes up a key part of NPR's national newsmagazines, and is especially critical for the coverage of milestone news events such natural disasters, the impact of war on local communities, and national elections.

NPR member stations are independent; they aren't owned or operated by NPR, Inc., which is a separate, independent 501 (C)3 not-for-profit organization. About two-thirds of stations are licensed to or affiliated with colleges or universities, and the remaining third are governed by community-based Boards. Some stations are operated jointly with public TV stations.

Public radio stations choose to apply for NPR membership; once they meet the criteria (mission, 24/7 broadcast operations, minimum number of staff, etc), and are accepted, they pay annual membership dues and are entitled to the benefits of membership. This includes a set of rights to NPR programming, content, digital distribution streaming and inclusion in mobile products. Members may associate their brand with NPR's, and they have a voice in NPR's consultations with its members and a vote in the election of the station manager members of its Board of Directors.

Each member determines its format and schedule. For example, in many markets, more than one station airs Morning Edition and All Things Considered, but stations tend to differ in what they present mid-days, evenings, and weekends. Many news-focused stations produce their own local news and information programming. Other stations augment drive-time news programs with mid-day and evening music programs (in such formats as classical, jazz, or world music) based on the interests of their communities. Some NPR member stations are entirely devoted to music. Whatever the format chosen, NPR News provides the information anchor for the vast majority of stations across the nation.

Partners in Programming with NPR
NPR is the public radio's largest program producer and distributor of programs. Our member stations produce many of the programs that we distribute, including these top-rated news and cultural programs: Fresh Air with host Terry Gross from WHYY (Philadelphia, PA); The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU (Washington, DC); On Point from WBUR (Boston, MA); On the Media from WNYC (New York, NY), and World Café from WXPN (Philadelphia).