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| NPR'S KEVIN KLOSE | |
 July 20, 1999 
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Testimony of Kevin Klose, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Public Radio, before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Production.
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| Chairman Tauzin, members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to speak before you today and providing me with the opportunity to talk about National Public Radio, and its relationship with its member stations as well as the public. NPR is a private, non-profit company, which serves two primary roles. One, NPR produces and distributes high quality noncommercial, educational, informational and cultural programming to its member stations, who in turn broadcast that programming to listeners in local communities across the countries. Two, NPR is also a membership organization, representing just over 600 noncommercial educational radio stations throughout the United States. In this capacity, we offer member stations such services as legislative and regulatory representation, program promotion and training. NPR is not a radio station nor does it own radio stations. NPR stations are independent and autonomous, reflective of their local communities. They are licensed to a variety of non-profit organizations, communities, colleges, universities and other institutions. The majority of NPR member stations are licensed to educational institutions. Member station dues and program purchases account for two thirds of NPR's annual budget ($ 75 million in FY 1999). On average, NPR receives 2 to 4% of its total budget from federal sources, including competitive grants awarded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the National Science Foundation, and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. Let me explain what NPR's policy and practice is regarding donor lists and exchanges. Since 1983 NPR has had a board policy prohibiting NPR from soliciting the public directly - on-air fund-raising, direct mail and telephone solicitations remain an exclusive prerogative of local stations. Over the years NPR has shared names with member stations - chiefly listeners who have requested tapes or transcripts. Recently NPR informed its member stations only that we would provide them the names of listeners in their communities who request tapes and transcripts. Before the names are provided there will be provisions in place to assure that no such information will be shared with any partisan political campaign or organization. We are guided in this and other interactions with stations by the knowledge that our NPR stations are rooted in local communities and responsive to the needs of those who live there. The most recent information indicates listener contributions account for 29 percent of public radio stations' revenue, the largest single category of funding. The trust and commitment to our listeners that have developed over the past 25 years are the foundation of this remarkable broadcasting endeavor. Therefore, maintaining that trust is crucial to allowing public radio to continue to provide the programming and services upon which listeners have come to depend. We will continue to work together with our members to ensure that we are worthy of the public's trust. Public radio is most grateful for your continuing support. I look forward to working with you in the future.
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