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Archives of NPR: Board of Directors Files
Processed by: Karen King
July 1998
22.5 lin. ft.
Administrative History | Scope and Content | Provenance | Series Descriptions
National Public Radio began in 1970 out of America's educational radio stations' need for a national interconnected public radio system. In the late 1960's, educational radio stations were weak, diverse and had no major support force that paralleled educational television's support from the Ford Foundation. Meanwhile, the National Association of Educational Broadcaster's National Educational Radio Network performed a long and useful service, but it was not a radio version of National Educational Television. In addition, the radio stations also saw a need for national productions as they moved toward interconnection. Finally, the National Educational Radio (NER) division of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters (NAEB) was also passed over for a new operation and new image for radio.
At a 1968 planning conference, Hartford Gunn delivered the paper "A Model for National Public Radio System," which gave an early glimpse of what would later become National Public Radio (NPR). Gunn's recommendations for a national public radio system were similar to his views on public television. These recommendations included creating a nucleus of five to eight stations which would determine network policies, provide production facilities and become the key affiliates with a central staff in Washington, DC. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) then commissioned Sam Holt in late 1968 to study noncommercial radio resources throughout the country. Holt's "Public Radio Study," finished in the spring of 1969, provided recommendations for building a revitalized public radio network.
In May 1969, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting hired Al Hulsen to be the first Director of Radio Activities. Hulsen and colleagues first developed minimum criteria for stations to qualify for funding from CPB. One of Hulsen's main objectives was to organize noncommercial radio stations into a national system that was not a remodeled version of National Educational Radio. Hulsen announced plans for formation of NPR in November 1969 featuring a news and public affairs magazine on the air. In December 1969, CPB held regional planning meetings and elections for the National Public Radio Planning Board. Station representatives chose the first six members who then selected three others at the first meeting in San Diego in January 1970. During this meeting, the managers sketched the outlines of NPR, which was then incorporated on March 3, 1970.
The early structure of NPR's Board of Directors roughly paralleled that of the Public Broadcasting Service: fourteen directors - nine representing stations, two representing CPB and NPR, and three from the general public. The next major change to the Board came from the merger of NPR with the Association of Public Radio Stations (APRS) in May 1977. These changes included more public participation on the board. The role of the public members was to provide an outsiders' perspective on the issues.
NPR's Board of Directors retains a parity between manager and public members. Also, the organization's CEO is considered a peer as a board member. The composition of the Board includes many committees, some permanent and some ad-hoc over the years. These committees include the Executive Committee, Membership Committee, Programming Committee, Finance Committee and the Technology/Distribution Committee. Current committees as of July 1998 include the Distribution/Interconnection Committee, Membership Committee, Finance and Administration Committee, Strategic Planning and Technology Committee, Committee of the Whole and the Committee on Directors.
The Archives of National Public Radio: Board of Directors Files span the years 1969 to 1988, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1970 to 1980. The papers include correspondence, financial records, minutes, and reports that document the activities of the Board of Directors and its committees during this period.
The collection consists of two series and several subseries:
The Archives of National Public Radio: Board of Directors Files was donated to the National Public Broadcasting Archives, University of Maryland Libraries by National Public Radio as part of a larger donation in 1991.
Series 1: General Files, 1969-1988 (7.5 lin. ft.)
This series documents the activities of the Board of Directors from 1969 to 1988. Types of materials include correspondence, minutes, lists of members, and reports. Interspersed among the minutes are board books that are materials distributed for upcoming meetings. Topics include by-laws, programming issues through reports from the Programming Committee, finances, and relationships with other organizations. The documents are arranged alphabetically by topic or type, and chronologically within the board books and minutes.
Series 2: Committee Files, 1971-1989, nd (13.0 lin. ft.)
- Subseries 1: Executive Committee, 1971-1986
The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors consists of the board's Chair, vice Chair and two other directors, with occasionally, one or more staff members present for support. The purpose of the Executive Committee has been to supervise operations and activities of National Public Radio between meetings of the Board of Directors or as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors. Issues considered by the Executive Committee included by-laws, board policies, and financial issues. The documents are arranged chronologically.
- Subseries 2: Long Range Planning & Legislation Committee, 1973-1986, nd
The Long Range Planning & Legislation Committee began October 1978, succeeding earlier committee such as the Long Range Planning Committee (1973-1974), the Program Policy and Corporate Planning Committee (1974-1976) and the Legal and Legislative Committee (1973-1974). Planning issues documented in these committee files include development of long range funding in both federal and non-federal support, and extension of radio services to wider audiences. Legislative issues primarily center around FCC activities in various areas such as children's programming, engineering standards for educational broadcasting stations and part-time programming by minority groups. The files also include project papers of the Audio Services Through Cable and Other Technologies (ASCOT) task force which was a special project of NPR's Planning and Research Department. The documents are arranged with the minutes first chronologically, and then alphabetically by topic.
- Subseries 3: Membership Committee, 1971-1987
The Membership Committee's purpose is to formulate and recommend membership qualifications. The topics, which are described in the minutes and other documents, include criteria for station membership and the issues of program access for non-members. The documents are arranged alphabetically by topic or type, and then chronologically.
- Subseries 4: Planning & Priorities Committee, 1984-1989
The Planning & Priorities Committee's purpose was to develop and recommend long-range objectives for NPR, advising the Board regarding the appropriateness of major decisions in terms of these objectives. Activities of the Committee included updating the board procedures handbook, setting policies concerning issues like membership criteria, and parliamentary procedures. In 1986, the Audience Building Task force was created with the goal of doubling the audience by 1990.
This subseries documents the activities of the Planning & Priorities Committee from 1984 to 1989. It is arranged starting chronologically with the minutes, and then alphabetically by topic and then either alphabetically or chronologically within each topic.
- Subseries 5: System Structures & Services Committee, 1983-1984
This subseries documents the activities of the System Structures and Services Committee from 1983 to 1984. The committee, created November 1983 by NPR Board Chair Don Mulally as a Select Committee on System Structures and Services, had the charge of determining the future of NPR's structure and services in the aftermath of the 1983 financial crisis through an open inquiry of station input via ballots. The committee's summaries were presented at "The Future of National Public Radio: Structures and Services" conference in February 1984.
Types of documents include correspondence, conference materials and ballots and are arranged alphabetically by topic or type.
- Subseries 6: Technology/Distribution Committee, 1978-1986, nd
This subseries documents the activities of the Technology/Distribution Committee. Types of documents include minutes, budget materials, reports and related legislative materials. Topics include satellite interconnection, program scheduling, the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program and the responsibilities of the Distribution Division. The committee began in 1978 with planning for satellite programming which began October 1, 1979. The materials are arranged with the minutes first chronologically and then alphabetically by topic or type.
A complete guide in Adobe Acrobat format can be downloaded here.
