WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: View of the sign outside National Public Radio headquarters on July 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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National Public Radio (NPR) has petitioned a federal court to prevent the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) from granting a $57.9 million contract to a newly formed alliance of public media organizations tasked with managing the satellite system that links public radio stations nationwide for the upcoming five years.
This legal move sheds light on the internal conflicts roiling public media, especially after Congressional Republicans, following President Trump’s directive, successfully eliminated all previously approved federal funding for public broadcasting for the next two fiscal years.
For over 40 years, NPR has overseen the satellite distribution network that allows hundreds of public radio stations and independent producers to broadcast and exchange content, including many programs unaffiliated with NPR itself. The CPB, a federally funded private entity, channels government funds to public radio and television outlets, including PBS and, to a lesser extent, NPR.
It’s important to note that the contested funds are separate from NPR’s own federal funding, which typically accounts for only 1% to 2% of its operating budget. In contrast, PBS and its member stations generally receive about 15% of their funding from CPB, while public radio stations average around 10%, though these percentages vary significantly.
Starting with the new federal fiscal year on Wednesday, this financial support for public media will cease entirely.
The federal allocation for the public radio satellite system is distinct from the funding NPR and its member stations receive.
According to NPR’s court documents, CPB initially informed NPR in early April that it would receive over $30 million to cover the next three years of satellite operations, in addition to remaining funds for the current year. However, CPB abruptly reversed this decision, citing a board-level resolution that excluded NPR from involvement, as detailed in the legal filing.
Earlier on the same day NPR filed its motion, CPB announced it had awarded the contract to a new consortium named Public Media Infrastructure (PMI). This group includes New York Public Radio, PRX, American Public Media based in Minnesota, and Station Resource Group, a consulting firm. The National Federation of Community Broadcasters, representing smaller stations outside the NPR network, is also part of this coalition.
Patricia Harrison, CPB’s President and CEO, stated, “By entrusting PMI with this grant, CPB is empowering stations to shape the future of radio content delivery, ensuring the network remains dependable, innovative, inclusive, and sustainable. This choice underscores CPB’s dedication to supporting the entire public media ecosystem, particularly rural and community stations, while preparing for future challenges.”
NPR, alongside three Colorado member stations, is concurrently suing the White House over President Trump’s May executive order barring CPB from allocating federal funds to NPR. The network argues this action violates constitutional protections, with Trump having labeled NPR and PBS as “monsters” and accused them of political bias. NPR contends these attacks amount to unlawful retaliation against its free speech rights.
“We seek a definitive ruling that declares this executive order illegal and unconstitutional, affirming that public media is entitled to the same protection against viewpoint discrimination as any other free press entity,” NPR CEO Katherine Maher wrote to member stations on Friday evening.
Maher expressed regret over the strained relationship with CPB, stating, “We approach this motion reluctantly. This decision undermines the longstanding partnership between our organizations, which has served the American public for decades, and marks a disappointing departure from CPB’s historical support for the First Amendment.”
In their request for a temporary restraining order, NPR’s leadership conveyed their surprise at CPB’s decision, interpreting it as the corporation yielding to the Trump administration’s demands.
“CPB is now poised to comply with the Order, in violation of both the First Amendment and the explicit provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967,” NPR’s legal counsel, led by Miguel A. Estrada and Theodore J. Boutros, Jr., asserted.
Despite a public display of unity during the intense political battle to preserve public media funding, CPB and PBS executives privately distanced themselves from NPR and Maher.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that CPB and PBS officials indicated to some lawmakers that they would accept continued subsidies for public media stations even if NPR itself lost federal funding. These insiders spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
While President Trump has openly criticized both NPR and PBS, NPR has faced heightened scrutiny over alleged ideological bias, partly fueled by a controversial 2024 essay from a former senior business editor who subsequently left the network.
During congressional hearings in late March, Republican lawmakers highlighted Maher’s past social media posts, dating before her NPR tenure, which reflected liberal views and support for Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
On April 2, NPR’s filings state that CPB executive Kathy Merritt confirmed approval of NPR’s contract extension, agreeing to transfer over $35 million to cover the remainder of the current contract and the new term.
However, on April 14, coinciding with media reports about Trump’s renewed push to eliminate all federal funding for public media, Merritt informed NPR’s Chief Operating Officer that CPB intended to award the satellite service contract to an entity unaffiliated with NPR, according to court documents.
Trump formally requested Congress to rescind funding on May 1 and warned Republican lawmakers he would withhold campaign support from those opposing the measure.
Two weeks later, NPR unveiled a new initiative aimed at delivering a “best-in-class terrestrial distribution platform for live broadcasts,” designed to revolutionize how public radio stations across the country receive programming. Despite this, CPB proceeded with the contract bidding process.
In its court filing, NPR argues that CPB’s decision to terminate its satellite contract jeopardizes NPR’s longstanding partnerships with interconnected stations and erodes the trust built over decades.
NPR warns that without a court injunction, it will likely lose the contract permanently, as CPB’s operations are expected to be drastically reduced, leaving only a minimal staff to manage shutdown procedures.
CPB’s spokesperson responded late Friday, expressing confidence that their actions align with the best interests of public radio’s future.
“We regret that NPR is compelling CPB to expend limited resources defending a lawsuit lacking merit, especially during a period of significant financial challenges for public media,” CPB stated.
In her message to member stations, Maher emphasized NPR’s commitment to preserving “the integrity and stability of the public radio system.” She assured that NPR would collaborate with the new public media infrastructure coalition to maintain a “vibrant and resilient” network.
Federal Judge Randolph D. Moss has scheduled a hearing on NPR’s motion for Tuesday morning, just one day before federal funding for public media is set to expire.
