Brendan Carr, the Trump-allied chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has launched an investigation into public radio outlets NPR and PBS for allegedly airing commercial advertisements disguised as sponsorships. Carr’s letter to the outlets’ leadership cited concerns that certain underwriting announcements may be crossing the line into prohibited commercial advertising.
NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher responded, stating that the organization’s programming and underwriting messaging comply with federal regulations, including FCC guidelines on underwriting messages for noncommercial educational broadcasters. Maher added that NPR and its member stations are expected to be in compliance with these rules.
The investigation comes amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing criticism of NPR and PBS, with Trump calling for defunding of the outlets on his Truth Social platform. Elon Musk has also targeted NPR in the past, advocating for its defunding.
NPR’s reliance on underwriting has increased in recent decades as federal and state governments have pulled back from funding public broadcasting. On average, NPR receives around 1% of its funding directly from the federal government each year, while PBS receives around 16% of its funding from the federal government.
The investigation is not the first move by Carr, who recently reinstated FCC complaints made against CBS and NBC by Trump-back groups. The previous FCC chair had dismissed these complaints, citing concerns about their impact on free speech.