National Public Radio

May 3, 2008

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Profile America — Saturday, May 3rd. National Public Radio went on the air 37 years ago today, with funding from the corporation for public broadcasting. In spite of alternatives such as satellite television and radio and streaming audio on the Internet, broadcast radio remains a daily companion to a large segment of the U.S. population, especially during their daily commuting. Studies show that the NPR programs “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” are among the most popular on radio, helping NPR to achieve a substantial increase in listeners in recent years. Across the country, there are some 780 NPR stations — compared with nearly 11,000 commercial stations. Americans listen to an average of just over two hours of radio every day. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 253
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1099, 1098
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html