The fight for control of public radio’s distribution backbone has escalated into federal court, with NPR accusing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of “a last-ditch attempt to carry out the President’s desire to defund NPR and thereby curry his favor.”
NPR was in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on September 30, seeking an emergency order to block the CPB from redirecting satellite system funds to a new public radio consortium.
For decades, NPR has operated the Public Radio Satellite System, managing the content distribution network that links hundreds of stations nationwide to news, cultural programming, and national shows. But with federal subsidies for public broadcasting ended, CPB shifted course in the eleventh hour.
On September 26, it awarded up to $57.9 million over five years to Public Media Infrastructure, a new nonprofit formed by PRX, American Public Media Group, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, New York Public Radio, and the Station Resource Group.
The grant hands PMI authority to manage interconnection services with a mandate to expand digital distribution, audience measurement, and sponsorship technology. CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison cast the decision as one meant to “drive the future of radio content distribution, ensuring that interconnection is not only reliable but also innovative, representative, and sustainable.”
Now faced with the loss, NPR is in attack mode.
“In a misguided attempt to appease a President bent on retribution, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is poised to violate both the First Amendment principles that it was entrusted to promote and the very law that gives rise to its existence,” the filing says. NPR argues the Public Broadcasting Act makes that designation binding, and that, “Absent such relief, CPB’s actions will irreparably harm NPR as well as the hundreds of public radio stations nationwide that rely on NPR’s operation and management of the PRSS.”
According to NPR, CPB had approved a three-year extension of the grant as recently as April 2 before suddenly changing course. NPR argues that reversal coincided with the White House campaign against the network. “The only thing that changed was the degree of political pressure the [Trump] Administration was placing on NPR,” the filing says.
The organization frames the issue as both a statutory violation and a constitutional one. “In short, the Order violates NPR’s First Amendment rights … and CPB should be enjoined from enforcing the Order.”
NPR asked the court for a temporary restraining order to prevent CPB from disbursing the funds to any other entity while the case is decided. It warned that once redirected, the money cannot be recovered, leaving stations nationwide without the backbone system that links them to national programming.
The court reports taking the matter under advisement, with an order forthcoming.
Come on NPR! Figure out how to operate the PRSS without funding from the technically now defunct CPB! The CPB is attempting to fund other agencies that will help carry things through this troubled time. NPR, your short sightedness may in fact cause more harm than anything! Satellite delivered programming is becoming more and more expensive. Many program distributors are starting to migrate towards Internet based delivery systems which brings a huge cost savings. NPR, I think you need to get with the times and think of the over all picture and NOT just about NPR.
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