Topic: National Public Media

National Public Media (NPM) was identified as the corporate sponsorship arm of NPR, operating essentially as a commercial radio sales department. Despite its "public" branding, NPM aggressively pursues brand advertisers and corporate underwriters, often using "calls to action" that mirror traditional commercials. Critics argue that NPR's reliance on corporate money contradicts its mission as a listener-supported public service.

National Public Media, the commercial arm of NPR, is selling "remnant inventory" on its websites at high CPM rates of $15 to $20. The hosts argue that this is a move toward blatant commercial advertising for a network that claims to be listener-supported. They contrast NPR's high ad rates with the lower rates typical for standard websites.

NPR is launching a geo-targeted ad network through National Public Media to allow national sponsors to reach specific regional audiences. The hosts argue this move further commercializes the public broadcaster, making it indistinguishable from traditional ad-supported media despite its "non-commercial" branding.