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by FedRegister 4338 days ago
>It's nice that we have a source of news that is not beholden to advertisers or corporate interests (although the number of 'This content was made possible by donations from...' I hear at the end of the larger shows is a bit worrying).

Cognitive dissonance is a hell of a thing, ain't it? The vast majority of NPR's funding comes from advertisers, excuse me, underwriters.

Edit: Well fuck me I'm wrong. Carry on, citizen.
2 comments
VikingCoder 4338 days ago
> The vast majority

No, it doesn't. From what I can see, it's more like 17%.

http://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742/public-radio-finances

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redtexture 4338 days ago
The largest part is syndication fees. You're seeing a pie chart about public radio station income, not NPR's income. See further down on the same page, in which it is indicated that 37% of unrestricted NPR income is from program syndication fees.

"Program fees and dues paid by our Member Stations are the largest portion of NPR's revenue. This includes fees paid to air the NPR newsmagazines, other programming we produce and distribute and annual member dues." and

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embolalia 4338 days ago
17% from corporations, but also count foundations if you're looking for underwriters overall, not just corporate interests. Probably also universities and "other" for 41.6% That's still not even remotely close to a vast majority, of course. And I think there's a qualitative difference between getting funding from an organization that wants to increase its bottom line and one that wants to create a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.
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ethbro 4338 days ago
"a more just, verdant, and peaceful world"

Well that sponsorship was obviously well-spent!

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mikeash 4338 days ago
I recognize the phrase and can even hear the hosts speaking it in my head... but I couldn't tell you the name of the sponsor. I'm sure it'll come to me.
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kasey_junk 4338 days ago
Macarthur foundation. Most famous as being givers of the "genius grants". Founded by the people that owned Bankers Life Insurance.
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smsm42 4338 days ago
17% is for member stations. In the NPR chart, corporate sponsorship is 25%. I'm not sure if this includes the 17% of 37% that they get from member stations, but I would assume that it does not, thus getting the amount of corporate money in NPR's own revenue to about 31%. Nowhere near vast majority still, even if we assume that "other revenues" and "grants and contributions" may have some corporate money too. I see no way it could be over half with any sane set of assumptions unless I'm completely misinterpreting the data in these diagrams.
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rquantz 4338 days ago
The vast majority of NPR's funding comes from member stations.
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