CPB, NPR Settle Interconnection Funding Dispute

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, November 17, 2025 | 11:12pm CT

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has reached a settlement with National Public Radio (NPR), ending NPR's lawsuit seeking to block CPB's award of public radio interconnection funding to Public Media Infrastructure (PMI), a new coalition of public media organizations.

NPR filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after CPB selected PMI through a competitive process last summer. The network argued CPB exceeded its statutory authority and asked the court to prevent CPB's grant from moving forward.

Under the settlement, NPR has agreed to drop all claims challenging CPB's award. Implementation of the PMI grant is now underway, reaffirming CPB's authority under the Public Broadcasting Act to direct federal funds and select systemwide service providers. The CPB Board of Directors unanimously approved the settlement terms.

The five-year funding package to PMI will support modernization of public radio content distribution and advance both digital and terrestrial delivery technologies - investments CPB says are necessary to "future-proof" the public radio system.

"This is an important moment for public media," said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison. "We are very pleased that this costly and unnecessary litigation is over, and that our investment in the future through PMI marks an exciting new era for public media."

Bill Davis, Principal at Station Resource Group and a founding member of PMI, said the coalition will prioritize transparency, collaboration, and innovation. "PMI is honored to carry forward this vital work on behalf of local stations, independent producers, national program distributors, and - most importantly - their audiences," he said.

As originally planned prior to the litigation, the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) - operated by NPR - will also receive CPB funding to continue current satellite distribution operations and pursue service enhancements. The settlement caps a year-long process marked by disagreements over governance of the interconnection system.

With NPR's legal challenge now withdrawn, CPB says its focus remains on building a more innovative and sustainable distribution framework for stations across the public media system, including rural and community broadcasters most reliant on interconnection support.