Feds look into underwriting practices at WBUR and other public media outlets

As part of its ongoing investigation of NPR and PBS, the Federal Communications Commission sent letters to a number of public radio stations, including WBUR, asking for information about their on-air sponsorships — known as “underwriting” in the public media world.

The letter, which was first reported by Bloomberg News, gave a deadline of March 31.

A spokesperson for WBUR confirmed the station has received the letter, but declined to provide a copy or give more details. GBH, Boston’s other NPR news station, also declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the LAist, a public media outlet in southern California, confirmed receipt of the FCC letter and said the station is "prepared to provide the requested information, consistent with our obligation." Several other major stations did not respond to requests for comment.

According to Bloomberg, the FCC sent the letter to 13 public media outlets.

"I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote in a letter to the leaders of NPR and PBS in January. "In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements."

The FCC does not directly regulate NPR or PBS, but it does oversee the licenses of individual member stations, like WBUR, to broadcast over public airwaves. In return for broadcast access, public media outlets promise not to run traditional commercials.

Outlets are, however, allowed to air corporate underwriting messages. These differ from advertisements in a few ways — namely, they do not promote or endorse products and services.

The leaders of NPR and PBS have said their organizations comply with all FCC rules and regulations and that they are confident any investigation would reveal compliance.

In an email to WBUR staff last month, Chief Executive Margaret Low said, “WBUR is highly attentive to FCC and NPR guidelines. Every spot we air — local or national — is reviewed to ensure that we’re adhering to those guidelines.”

Low’s email also said FCC complaints usually come directly from the public and are investigated based on objections to a particular announcement. When stations have been fined in the past, Low said, it has typically been after the agency found a station “knowingly or egregiously” violated the rules.

Sen. Edward Markey, who has been critical of the FCC’s plans to investigate public media for underwriting violations, called the letters sent to member stations “a partisan stunt.” In a statement he said, “the FCC’s continued weaponization of its authority to investigate public broadcasters is reckless and unacceptable.”

President Trump has not been shy about his desire to revoke federal funding for public media stations, which he believes are biased against him. His FCC chairman, Carr, also has questioned the funding.

“I do not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS given the changes in the media marketplace since the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967,” Carr wrote in the letter to the heads of NPR and PBS.

NPR reports that the organization receives about 1% of its annual funding from the federal government each year, while PBS gets about 16% of its funding from the government.

Many member stations are more reliant on federal funds, particularly smaller, rural stations. On average, member stations get about 10% of their budget from the congressionally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Approximately 3% of WBUR’s annual budget comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Editor’s note: WBUR’s Miriam Wasser reported and wrote this story, and WBUR’s Beth Healy edited it. Under standard practices for reporting on WBUR, no other BU or WBUR staff were allowed to review the story before publication.