FCC Probing NPR, PBS on Possible Ad Ban Violation

WASHINGTON, January 31, 2025 – In a move foreshadowed by the conservative manifesto Project 2025, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced an investigation into NPR and PBS, alleging that taxpayer-supported member stations have been unlawfully airing advertisements.

Carr, whom Trump designated as Chairman on Jan.20, sent a letter to NPR and PBS on Wednesday claiming that sponsorship messages on their FCC-licensed stations might violate federal rules that prohibit commercial advertising on noncommercial broadcasters.

“I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials. In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements,” Carr wrote. 

“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.

Sponsorship messages, also known as underwriting, have been a legally accepted part of public broadcasting for decades. Unlike traditional commercials, underwriting spots are subject to strict FCC guidelines: They cannot contain calls to action, pricing information, or qualitative comparisons. The FCC itself has steadily refined these rules over the years, allowing public radio and television stations to secure financial support from businesses and nonprofits while maintaining their noncommercial status.

NPR and PBS were quick to defend their practices.

“We are confident any review of our programming and underwriting practices will confirm NPR’s adherence to these rules,” said NPR CEO Katherine Maher in a statement. “We have worked for decades with the FCC in support of noncommercial educational broadcasters who provide essential information, educational programming, and emergency alerts to local communities across the United States.”

PBS also affirmed its compliance, saying it remains committed to “noncommercial educational programming” and diligently follows all FCC underwriting regulations.

Even within the FCC, Carr’s move is raising red flags. Democratic Commissioners Anna Gomez and Geoffrey Starks have criticized the investigation, with Starks expressing “serious concern” that the probe was politically motivated.

“This appears to be yet another Administration effort to weaponize the power of the FCC. The FCC has no business intimidating and silencing broadcast media,” Gomez wrote.

Gomez has been a vocal critic of Carr’s broader agenda, including his push to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs within the agency and his role in reinstating complaints against CBS, NBC, and ABC — moves that critics argue align with the Trump administration’s ongoing war on independent journalism.

Carr’s investigation isn’t happening in a vacuum — defunding NPR and PBS has been a conservative ambition for decades. The plan was previously spelled out within Project 2025, the sweeping policy blueprint drafted by conservatives at the Heritage Foundation for Trump’s potential second term. Heritage launched the first Project 2025 in 1980 as an action plan for the incoming Reagan administration. It was called “Mandate for Leadership”, and was highly influential.

Project 2025 explicitly called for eliminating what it describes as a "tyrannical situation" in public broadcasting, arguing that NPR and PBS cater overwhelmingly to liberals and should no longer receive taxpayer funding.

Trump, for his part, has made no secret of his disdain for public media. In April, he wrote on Truth Social: “No more funding for NPR, a total scam! They are a liberal disinformation machine. Not one dollar!"

Recent conservative backlash against NPR intensified in April after senior editor Uri Berliner resigned following a suspension for publicly criticizing the network’s alleged liberal bias. The controversy has been cited by Republicans as further justification for stripping public media of federal funding.

Carr’s letter signals that he plans to brief Congress on his findings, effectively handing lawmakers ammunition to justify cuts to public media. The investigation could provide a pretext for a full-scale defunding effort, although, for now, the FCC’s authority to take direct action against NPR and PBS appears limited — mainly because the underwriting rules have been upheld for decades. 

If the FCC attempted any enforcement action based on this investigation, it would likely face legal challenges from NPR, PBS, or media law organizations.