Trends and Facts on Public Broadcasting | State of the News Media

Hundreds of local and regional radio and television stations make up the U.S. public media system.

On the radio side, organizations such as NPR and Public Radio Exchange (PRX) produce and distribute programming, reaching audiences through local stations as well as digital channels. Individual stations, such as New York’s WNYC and Chicago’s WBEZ, produce nationally syndicated original journalism as well.

As for television, PBS NewsHour produces an evening newscast that airs on local PBS stations around the country. The organization has a digital operation as well.

On the whole, the news offerings of U.S. public broadcasters have been marked by relative financial stability, with some declines in audience since 2020. Explore the patterns and longitudinal data about public broadcasting below. (Further data on podcasting is available in a separate fact sheet.)

Audience

The top 20 NPR-affiliated public radio stations (by listenership) had on average a total weekly listenership of about 8 million in 2022, down 10% from 2021. (This includes listeners of NPR programming as well as original or other syndicated content aired on these stations.)


Weekly broadcast audience for top 20 NPR-affiliated radio stations

Average weekly terrestrial listenership

Year Listenership
2015 8,724,100
2016 10,212,600
2017 11,210,500
2018 10,413,500
2019 10,112,500
2020 9,164,100
2021 9,200,000
2022 8,277,000

Note: Beginning in 2018, this method has been updated from prior years to eliminate duplication of audiences and account for audiences outside of the home market.

Source: NPR, based on data from Nielsen Audio National Regional Database, for persons 12+, Monday-Sunday, midnight-midnight.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


When looking specifically at NPR programming across all stations that carry it, weekly terrestrial broadcast listenership declined by 6% between 2021 and 2022. (Traditional radio listening is “terrestrial,” i.e., coming from radio broadcast towers rather than satellites or the internet.) About 23.5 million average weekly listeners tuned in to NPR programming during the year, down from 25.1 million in 2021, according to internal data provided by the organization.

The terrestrial audience from PRX, which distributes programs such as The World and The Takeaway, declined to about 6.7 million average weekly listeners, a 24% drop since 2021.

Weekly broadcast audience of NPR and PRX


NPR weekly broadcast audience

Average weekly terrestrial listenership

Year Listenership
2005 25300000
2006 25,500,000
2007 25,500,000
2008 26,400,000
2009 26,400,000
2010 27,200,000
2011 26,800,000
2012 26,000,000
2013 27,300,000
2014 26,200,000
2015 26,000,000
2016 29,700,000
2017 30,100,000
2018 28,500,000
2019 28,000,000
2020 26,100,000
2021 25,100,000
2022 23,500,000

Source: NPR, based on data from Nielsen Audio Nationwide, for persons 12+.nn

PEW RESEARCH CENTER



PRX weekly broadcast audience

Average weekly terrestrial listenership

Year Listenership
2015 8,132,000
2016 8,861,000
2017 8,813,000
2018 9,666,300
2019 9,583,900
2020 9,476,600
2021 8,884,700
2022 6,719,000

Note: Data for 2015-2018 is for PRI only.

Source: PRX, based on data from fall 2022 Nielsen Audio Nationwide.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


NPR’s broadcasting reach remained mostly stable between 2020 and 2022 in terms of both the number of member stations (stations either owned or operated by member organizations) and the number of stations airing any NPR programming (which includes member stations). The number of member organizations – flagship educational and community organizations that operate at least one station – stood at 249, down slightly from 251 the previous year.

Broadcasting reach of NPR


NPR broadcasting reach: Stations

Number of …

NPR member stations All stations (member and nonmember) airing NPR programming
2013 849 1001
2014 946 1029
2015 972 1054
2016 990 1072
2017 991 1074
2018 1001 1074
2019 1011 1076
2020 1020 1069
2021 1040 1068
2022 1053 1066

Note: NPR includes repeaters in the count of stations airing its programming. “All stations” includes member stations.

Source: Information provided by NPR.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER



NPR broadcasting reach: Member organizations

Number of NPR member organizations

NPR member organizations
2013 269
2014 263
2015 265
2016 264
2017 260
2018 263
2019 265
2020 254
2021 251
2022 249

Note: Member organizations are flagship educational and community organizations that operate at least one station.

Source: Information provided by NPR.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


In 2022, 936 stations were airing programming from PRX, roughly the same as in 2021.


Broadcasting reach of PRX

Number of stations airing PRX programming

Year Stations
2016 836
2017 830
2018 849
2019 907
2020 927
2021 935
2022 936

Note: Data for 2015-2018 is for PRI only.

Source: Information provided by PRX.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


NPR’s digital platforms continue to be an important part of its reach. The NPR One app, which offers a stream of individual shows and podcasts, had a lower average number of total completed sessions in 2022 than in the previous year among Android users but saw increases among iPhone users. (A completed session is any instance in which a user starts and stops using the app.) The NPR News app, which offers livestreams from individual stations and digital content, increased sharply in completed sessions among iPhone users in 2020 but has since declined.


Monthly sessions on NPR apps

Average number of completed monthly sessions by device and app

Year NPR News: iPhone NPR News: Android NPR One: iPhone NPR One: Android NPR News: iPad
2014 6947956 2913814 2734069
2015 7826679 3613494 758531 460263 1610358
2016 11433558 5005041 2649326 1326320 1630880
2017 14502478 8242722 4462950 2396494 1488862
2018 6756009 4506901 2984181 1248160
2019 19167542 5384844 4362124 2302035 1050676
2020 26846656 6386130 4406649 2185129 1170398
2021 20950103 4658916 3548046 1954310 862071
2022 17823993 4302722 4127832 1508968 670603

Note: Data for NPR News: iPhone unavailable for 2018. NPR One app data is not available for 2014 (the app launched on July 28, 2014). 2014 sessions for the NPR News app on iPhone are based on an estimate for April 9-May 2. There is no NPR One app specifically for iPads. A completed session is any instance in which a user starts and stops using the app.

Source: NPR, based on Google Analytics data for January-December and iPhone News App data for January-August of each year. As of 2022, NPR One data for Android and iPhone is now sourced from Firebase.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


The audience for PBS NewsHour declined slightly after an increase in 2020: In 2022, it attracted about 900,000 viewers on average, down from roughly 1 million in 2021 and 1.2 million in 2020.


PBS NewsHour viewership

Total average viewership

Year Total average viewership
2016 1,007,000
2017 1,187,000
2018 1,110,000
2019 1,018,000
2020 1,197,000
2021 989,000
2022 882,000

Note: Numbers represent the annual P2+, Live+SD average for each broadcast calendar year. 2021 average excludes data from broadcasts between March 15 and Aug. 15, 2021.

Source: Information provided by PBS NewsHour, based on Nielsen NPower.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Economics

The financial picture for news outlets in public radio appeared mostly strong both locally and nationally.

At the national level, NPR’s total operating revenue in 2022 was $316.7 million, an increase of 8% from the previous year. PRX was down about 17% from 2021, falling to about $36.1 million in total revenue for 2022.

Total revenue for NPR and PRX


NPR total revenue

Total operating revenue (in U.S. dollars)

Year Revenue
2015 $195,900,000
2016 $213,100,000
2017 $232,800,000
2018 $251,300,000
2019 $276,000,000
2020 $270,100,000
2021 $293,000,000
2022 $316,700,000

Note: Above information represents fiscal year actual results for NPR (Parent Company Only) activity without donor restrictions.

Source: Information provided by NPR.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER



PRX total revenue

Total operating revenue (in U.S. dollars)

Year Revenue
2015 $17,400,000
2016 $21,900,000
2017 $18,100,000
2018 $18,800,000
2019 $41,600,000
2020 $37,600,000
2021 $43,600,000
2022 $36,100,000

Note: Data for 2015-2018 is for PRI only.

Source: Information provided by PRX.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


At the local public radio level, an analysis of the public filings provided by 129 of the largest news-oriented licensees (organizations that operate local public radio stations) shows that in fiscal year 2021, total revenue for this group was $1.2 billion.


Local public radio station revenue

Total revenue for the 129 largest news-oriented public radio licensees (in U.S. dollars)

Year Total revenue
2008 $696,204,389
2009 $666,338,114
2010 $722,893,464
2011 $776,343,600
2012 $783,804,461
2013 $820,010,203
2014 $860,767,759
2015 $848,355,098
2016 $886,019,807
2017 $940,900,239
2018 $968,394,761
2019 $989,733,531
2020 $1,068,270,260
2021 $1,167,852,635

Note: All figures are fiscal year, inflation-adjusted calculations. Data for these licensees was aggregated and provided by Mark Fuerst, director, Public Media Futures, using the Annual Financial Reports submitted by each licensee to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Source: Public Media Futures, a project funded by the Wyncote Foundation.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


This revenue for local public radio comes from a range of streams, but individual giving (which includes member revenue and major gifts) and underwriting (from businesses and foundations as well as other nonprofit organizations) are two key sources of funding. Among the 129 news-oriented licensees studied here, individual giving and underwriting accounted for a combined $647.6 million in revenue in 2021.


Individual giving and underwriting revenue for local public radio news stations

Revenue for the 129 largest news-oriented public radio licensees (in U.S. dollars)

Year Individual giving Underwriting
2008 $260,960,182 $198,025,282
2009 $276,161,970 $175,689,164
2010 $288,300,541 $178,751,907
2011 $308,219,610 $177,198,166
2012 $316,004,310 $191,696,566
2013 $331,939,227 $192,111,102
2014 $342,250,140 $203,386,494
2015 $365,703,727 $212,194,935
2016 $376,131,389 $217,585,274
2017 $399,172,509 $220,103,262
2018 $418,737,546 $226,547,675
2019 $429,788,764 $227,610,088
2020 $490,569,581 $206,736,340
2021 $477,847,524 $169,798,837

Note: All figures are fiscal year, inflation-adjusted calculations. Data for these licensees was aggregated and provided by Mark Fuerst, director, Public Media Futures, using the Annual Financial Reports submitted by each licensee to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Source: Public Media Futures, a project funded by the Wyncote Foundation.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


In 2021, the total number of individual members – defined as anyone who has given money to one of the stations owned by these 129 licensees in each calendar year – was 2.4 million, about the same as the previous year.


Local public radio station membership

Total station membership for the 129 largest news-oriented public radio licensees

Year Total membership
2008 1,665,924
2009 1,743,232
2010 1,790,393
2011 1,940,486
2012 1,956,201
2013 2,016,449
2014 2,103,547
2015 2,046,745
2016 2,087,018
2017 2,292,509
2018 2,312,170
2019 2,351,783
2020 2,388,343
2021 2,379,588

Note: Data for these licensees was aggregated and provided by Mark Fuerst, director, Public Media Futures, using the Annual Financial Reports submitted by each licensee to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Source: Public Media Futures, a project funded by the Wyncote Foundation.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


On the television side, NewsHour derives its revenue from a variety of sources, including PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and a mix of “nonpublic” streams such as corporations, individual giving and foundations. While the details about public sources of revenue were unavailable for this analysis, NewsHour did provide information about its breakdown of nonpublic funding. In 2022, contributions from individuals rose to 27% of total nonpublic funding as contributions from foundations reached their lowest share at 51%. (Information on whether the total amount of this funding rose or fell was also unavailable.)


PBS NewsHour nonpublic funding makeup

% of PBS NewsHour’s nonpublic funding revenue

Year Individuals Corporations Foundations
2014 3% 41% 56%
2015 6% 23% 71%
2016 11% 19% 70%
2017 13% 17% 70%
2018 13% 17% 70%
2019 15% 22% 63%
2020 24% 18% 58%
2021 26% 18% 56%
2022 27% 22% 51%

Note: All figures are calendar year.

Source: Information provided by PBS NewsHour.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Newsroom investment

Program and production expenses for the 129 news-oriented local public radio licensees was $480.2 million in 2021, compared with $539.4 million in 2020. While program and production expenses comprise only a portion of overall station expenses, a decrease in these kinds of expenditures indicates that the stations are directing fewer dollars toward the creation of news content.


Local public radio station expenses

Total program and production expenses for the 129 largest news-oriented public radio licensees (in U.S. dollars)

Year Total program and production expenses
2008 $358,739,718
2009 $375,334,220
2010 $383,570,778
2011 $399,366,969
2012 $412,874,880
2013 $418,041,473
2014 $438,732,107
2015 $458,912,987
2016 $482,305,581
2017 $495,924,199
2018 $516,649,414
2019 $530,018,455
2020 $539,375,591
2021 $480,194,652

Note: All figures are fiscal year, inflation-adjusted calculations. Data for these licensees was aggregated and provided by Mark Fuerst, director, Public Media Futures, using the Annual Financial Reports submitted by each licensee to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Source: Public Media Futures, a project funded by the Wyncote Foundation.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Find out more

This fact sheet was compiled by Research Assistants Christopher St. Aubin and Sarah Naseer.

Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This is the latest report in Pew Research Center’s ongoing investigation of the state of news, information and journalism in the digital age, a research program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Read the methodology.

Find more in-depth explorations of public broadcasting by following the links below:

  • For World Radio Day, key facts about radio listeners and the radio industry in the U.S., Feb. 13, 2023.
  • Broad agreement in U.S. – even among partisans – on which news outlets are part of the ‘mainstream media’, May 7, 2021
  • How Americans Navigated the News in 2020: A Tumultuous Year in Review, Feb. 22, 2021
  • Measuring News Consumption in a Digital Era, Dec. 8, 2020
  • Americans’ main sources for political news vary by party and age, April 1, 2020
  • U.S. Media Polarization and the 2020 Election: A Nation Divided, Jan. 24, 2020