FCC Chair Brendan Carr has asked the commission’s Enforcement Bureau to investigate underwriting announcements of NPR, PBS and their member stations, a letter obtained by Current shows.
In the letter, sent Jan. 29 to NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger, Carr expressed concern that NPR and PBS sponsorship messages may violate federal law that prohibits noncommercial educational stations from airing commercials.
“It is possible” that NPR and PBS member stations air announcements that “cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements,” Carr wrote.
“It is important to me, as Chairman of the FCC, that NCE broadcast stations stay true to their important missions and refrain from operating as noncommercial in name only,” he added.
In a statement posted Thursday on NPR’s website, Maher said NPR programming and underwriting complies with FCC guidelines. Member stations are also expected to be in compliance, she added.
“We are confident any review of our programming and underwriting practices will confirm NPR’s adherence to these rules,” Maher’s statement said.
“We have worked for decades with the FCC in support of noncommercial educational broadcasters who provide essential information, educational programming, and emergency alerts to local communities across the United States.”
PBS also issued a statement: “We work diligently to comply with the FCC’s underwriting regulations and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that to the Commission.”
In his letter, Carr said he plans to share the letter with members of Congress as they debate tax-based funding for NPR and PBS programming.
“For my own part, I do not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS given the changes in the media marketplace since the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967,” Carr wrote.
Congress appropriates federal funding to CPB — not NPR or PBS. By law, the corporation distributes more than 70% of the funds to local stations.
“To the extent that these taxpayer dollars are being used to support a for profit endeavor or an entity that is airing commercial advertisements, then that would further undermine any case for continuing to fund NPR and PBS with taxpayer dollars,” Carr wrote.
Representatives for the FCC did not immediately respond to questions from Current.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Correction: A headline on an earlier version of this story, “FCC opens investigation into NPR, PBS underwriting,” mischaracterized the statement in Carr’s letter. He said he had asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to investigate compliance with underwriting rules, not that an investigation is underway.