NPR secures federal funding

Photo Credit: Mr. T in MD / CC by 2.0

NPR will receive approximately $36 million in grant money to keep its interconnection system operational amid the fallout from Trump’s executive order.

National Public Radio (NPR) has reached a resolution with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) concerning the disbursement of federal funds for its interconnection services. NPR will receive approximately $36 million in grant money to keep its system operational for two years, under the terms of a court settlement with the federal government.

The settlement partially resolves the legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bending to pressure from President Trump to cut off its funding. It accused the CPB of violating the First Amendment by moving to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress.

Back in April, the CPB’s board initially approved a three-year extension of a grant for NPR to operate its interconnection system for public radio, which it has operated and managed since 1985. But officials changed course and announced that the federal funds would instead go to an entity called Public Media Infrastructure. Trump said at a news conference around the same time that he would “love to” defund NPR and PBS, citing a belief that they are biased in favor of Democrats.

NPR claimed the CPB was under mounting pressure from the Trump administration, which caused it to change course. It noted that Public Media Infrastructure is a media coalition that does not exist and wasn’t authorized to receive the funds.

On May 1, Trump issued an executive order calling for federal agencies to cease funding NPR and PBS. NPR is still seeking to block any implementation or enforcement of Trump’s order, calling it unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss is scheduled to preside over a hearing related to that case on December 4.

The recent settlement makes clear that both NPR and CPB agree that the executive order is unconstitutional and that CPB will not enforce it unless court ordered to do so. Meanwhile, on August 1, CPB announced it would take steps toward closing down after being defunded by Congress.