National Public Radio

:NPR redirects here. For other meanings of NPR, see NPR (disambiguation).

Production facilities and listenership

NPR's major production facilities have been based in Washington, D.C. since its creation. On November 2, 2002, a West Coast production facility, dubbed NPR West, opened in Culver City, California. NPR opened NPR West to improve its coverage of the western United States, to expand its production capabilities (shows produced there include News & Notes with Ed Gordon and Day to Day), and to create a fully functional backup production facility capable of keeping NPR on the air in the event of a catastrophe in Washington, D.C.

Related Topics:
Washington, D.C. - November 2 - 2002 - West Coast - Culver City, California - News & Notes with Ed Gordon - Day to Day

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According to a 2003 Washington Monthly story, about 20 million listeners tune into NPR each week. On average they are 50 years old and earn an annual income of $78,000. Its audience is predominantly white; only about 10% are either African American or Hispanic. Many of its listeners consider NPR to be at the apex of journalistic integrity, while critics argue that it is not fully representative of the nation's diversity.

Related Topics:
Washington Monthly - White - African American - Hispanic - Journalistic

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From 1999 through 2004, listenership has increased by about 66%. This increase may have been the result of one of a number of factors, including audience interest in coverage of September 11, the following military actions, and a general lack of interest in other terrestrial radio outlets. NPR attracted these new listeners at the same time that the size of the overall radio audience in the United States was decreasing rapidly as people abandoned the medium in favor of iPods (and similar devices) and satellite radio.

Related Topics:
1999 - 2004 - September 11 - IPod - Satellite radio

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In recent years, NPR has made some changes to appeal to younger listeners and to minority groups. From 2002 until 2004, Tavis Smiley hosted a show targeted towards African Americans, but left the network, claiming that the organization did not provide enough support to make his production truly successful. NPR stations have long been known for carrying classical music, but the amount of classical programming carried on NPR stations and other public radio outlets in the U.S. has been declining. Many stations have shifted toward carrying more news, while others have shifted to feature more contemporary music that attracts a younger audience.

Related Topics:
2002 - 2004 - Tavis Smiley - Classical music

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