South Carolina’s public media stations are making a bold move to break away from National Public Radio (NPR) and become independent. The decision comes as a response to increasing congressional scrutiny of government-supplied broadcasting. Leaders of SC Public Radio and SC Educational Television expressed a desire to focus more on locally produced and focused content, which they believe is what their audience wants.
While the partnership with NPR will not be completely eliminated, there will be a significant decrease in NPR-produced content. SCETV chairman Richard Cohn emphasized that the goal is to reduce reliance on national programming hours and expand coverage of local issues. The move to go independent will allow the public media organizations to allocate more resources towards meeting the needs of their local communities.
In a statement, NPR acknowledged the importance of SCETV and SC Public Radio in providing critical public services to millions of Americans in South Carolina. The current agreement between NPR and the state-funded media organizations involves an annual payment of approximately $965,000 for access to NPR’s content.
The decision to go independent reflects a growing trend among public media stations to prioritize local content and community engagement. While NPR will continue to be a valuable partner, SCETV and SC Public Radio are taking steps to enhance their commitment to serving the unique needs of their audiences in South Carolina.
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