National Public Radio - Governance

Governance

NPR is a membership corporation. Member stations are required to be non-commercial or non-commercial educational radio stations, have at least five full-time professional employees, operate for at least 18 hours per day, and not be designed solely to further a religious broadcasting philosophy or be used for classroom distance learning programming. Each member station receives one vote at the annual NPR board meetings—exercised by its designated Authorized Station Representative ("A-Rep").

To oversee the day-to-day operations and prepare its budget, members elect a Board of Directors. This board is composed of ten A-Reps, five members of the general public, and the chair of the NPR Foundation. Terms are for three years and rotate such that some stand for election every year.

The original purposes of NPR, as ratified by the Board of Directors, are the following:

• Provide an identifiable daily product which is consistent and reflects the highest standards of broadcast journalism.
• Provide extended coverage of public events, issues and ideas, and to acquire and produce special public affairs programs.
• Acquire and produce cultural programs which can be scheduled individually by stations.
• Provide access to the intellectual and cultural resources of cities, universities and rural districts through a system of cooperative program development with member public radio stations.
• Develop and distribute programs for specific groups (adult education, instruction, modular units for local productions) which may meet needs of individual regions or groups, but may not have general national relevance.
• Establish liaison with foreign broadcasters for a program exchange service.
• Produce materials specifically intended to develop the art and technical potential of radio.

As of May 2012, the Board of Directors of NPR included the following members:

NPR Member Station Managers

• Dave Edwards; Director/General Manager, WUWM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin – (Chair of the Board, NPR)
• Bill Davis; President and CEO, Southern California Public Radio
• Jose Fajardo; President and CEO, WMFE, Orlando, Florida
• Betsy Gardella; President and CEO, New Hampshire Public Radio
• Kit Jensen; Chief Operating Officer WVIZ/PBS & 90.3 WCPN Ideastream, Cleveland, Ohio
• Caryn Mathes; General Manager, WAMU, Washington, DC
• Greg Petrowich; Executive Director, WSIU Public Broadcasting, Carbondale, Illinois
• Florence Rogers; President and General Manager, Nevada Public Radio
• Marita Rivero; Vice President and General Manager for Radio and Television, WGBH, Boston, Massachusetts
• Roger Sarow; President, WFAE, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Bruce Bergethon; General Manager, WGLT, Normal, Illinois

President of NPR

• Gary Knell, President and CEO (December 1, 2011– )

Chair of the NPR Foundation

• Antoine W. van Agtmael; Chair, NPR Foundation; Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, Emerging Markets Management, LLP

Public Members of the Board

• Carol A. Cartwright; Former President, Bowling Green State University
• Patricia Diaz Dennis; Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Retired, AT&T
• Paul Haaga; Chairman of the Board, Capital Research and Management Company
• Eduardo A. Hauser; Chief Executive Officer, DailyMe, Inc.
• John A. Herrmann, Jr.; Vice Chairman, Lincoln International