"NPR gets NO money directly from the Federal government. They do get a very small amount (about 2%, overall) from such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts which are primarily Federally-funded. Local radio stations get nothing from the Feds, and pay dearly for NPR programming." ~ artbrooks

As often is the case, this is bunk.

Lyndon Johnson had the Corporation for Public Broadcasting created to isolate PBS from Federal funding.

What happens is the Federal government takes taxpayer's money and transfers it to CPB who then hand it to PBS.

Cleaver, eh?

In 2009 that amounted to $400 million.

CPB board of directors is appointed by the President, so the claim that it is a private or a semi-private company is rather lame.

Just like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack, which hold over 90% of the single family mortgages written in the past two years, they were the brainchildren on Democrats in Congress.

From Wikipedia:

"Historically, 15% to 20% of the aggregate revenues of all public broadcasting stations have been funded from federal sources, principally through CPB."

"Public broadcasting stations are funded by a combination of private donations from members, foundations and corporations (60.4% of 2006 total revenues of all stations), state and local taxes (22.2% of 2006 total revenues), local and national underwriting, and federal funds, principally through CPB (17.3% of 2006 total revenues)."

In big round numbers, about 40% of NPR and PBS funding is taxpayer money: half Federal and half state and local.