FCC chair opens investigation into PBS, NPR sponsorship practices

[Ray Bogan]

The chairman of the FCC ordered an investigation into sponsorship practices at PBS and NPR stations. In a letter obtained by the New York Times, Chairman Brendan Carr told the outlets he is concerned they are breaking federal law by airing commercials. 

Carr explained that federal law prohibits noncommercial educational broadcast stations from running commercial advertisements. The stations can run on-air acknowledgments about donations from for-profit entities, but those can be done for identification purposes only. 

“These announcements should not promote the contributor’s products, services, or businesses, and they may not contain comparative or qualitative descriptions, price information, calls to action, or inducements to buy, sell, rent, or lease,” Carr wrote in a letter to PBS and NPR executives. 

The CEO of NPR told the Times that NPR’s sponsorships comply with federal regulations. 

“We are confident any review of our programming and underwriting practices will confirm NPR’s adherence to these rules,” NPR CEO Katherine Maher stated. 

PBS told the NYT it was proud of its noncommercial educational programming and worked diligently to comply with the FCC’s regulations. 

Carr said he planned to inform Congress about his investigation. 

“To the extent that these taxpayer dollars are being used to support a for profit endeavor or an entity that is airing commercial advertisements, then that would further undermine any case for continuing to fund NPR and PBS with taxpayer dollars,” he wrote in the letter. 

Carr is the senior Republican on the commission. He has been nominated by both Presidents Biden and Trump and confirmed unanimously by the Senate three times.