National Public Radio Tunes In a New Listener in Chief

For years, Vivian Schiller has counted herself among the millions of devoted listeners who enjoy National Public Radio shows such as Morning Edition and Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!

But in January, her interest in the programs switched from casual to professional when she took over as president of NPR, the nonprofit organization that provides programs to some 26 million listeners through more than 860 public radio stations.

“I love it,” she says with a chuckle. “I was always a huge fan and devoted listener. Now, coming in, it’s really a thrill to meet everybody inside.”

She comes to NPR from the New York Times Company, where she was senior vice president and general manager of NYTimes.com. Her new job marks the latest step in a career in which she has leaped from one news organization to another. Before overseeing The Times‘s online operations, Ms. Schiller was executive vice president at the Discovery Times Channel. She started out with CNN Productions as a Russian-language interpreter and went on to oversee documentaries and long-form series there.

Her arrival in the radio business comes at a time when all news organizations are buckling under the strain of the recession. NPR is luckier than most, she says, in that its annual budget of $155-million includes revenue from multiple sources: fees from member stations, corporate sponsorships, gifts from individuals, foundation grants, investment income, and government aid through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The corporate sponsorships have been hurt most by the tough economic times. There has been a bright spot, though. Donations from individuals grew in the last quarter of 2008. The network received $2.2-million in new pledges from individuals, compared with $1.7-million during the same period in the previous year.

“I think that’s an encouraging sign. When times are tough, it forces us to think about what our priorities are,” Ms. Schiller says. “I think that’s a good sign of what NPR means to people.”

Still, the economic downturn has had an impact on the organization. In December, NPR announced that it would lay off 64 people and eliminate 21 unfilled positions and two programs, Day to Day and News & Notes.

And the economy isn’t the only challenge. NPR is also struggling to find its place in the rapidly evolving era of digital media. Ms. Schiller’s predecessor, Ken Stern, tried to expand the organization into online music vending, among other new endeavors, in hopes of increasing its multimedia reach and revenue. That sparked a backlash from the member stations, however, since giving listeners access to a show via podcast means they don’t have to tune in to their local stations for it. Some local-station executives suggested in interviews that Mr. Stern had failed to convince them that the radio stations had a place in the new, multimedia NPR. The network’s governing board forced him out as chief executive last winter, after less than a year and a half on the job. Howard Stevenson, chairman of NPR’s board, believes that Ms. Schiller will help steer the organization through both the recession and the rapid changes in the broadcast and entertainment media. She strikes him as down to earth and approachable, he says, but no pushover.

“People seem to love working with her,” Mr. Stevenson says. “She also seems to be tough. She understands this is not an easy environment to be in. She’s the kind of person who can lead with grace in tough times.”

Ms. Schiller would not reveal her new salary; her predecessor, Mr. Stern, earned $354,334 during the 2007 fiscal year, according to the organization’s most recent publicly available informational tax return.

Some observers have questioned whether the selection of Ms. Schiller, an executive from the digital-media world, signals that NPR’s multimedia push will continue. She says NPR will continue its expansion in that direction, but not at the expense of local radio stations. With their loyal core of listeners, she says, the local stations can become focal points for NPR’s multimedia push.

“It’s not an either-or” situation, she says. “It is to me a tremendous opportunity.”

In an interview, Ms. Schiller discussed the challenges NPR faces, and how she plans to tackle them:

Do you agree with the staff and program cuts made in December, and do you foresee the need for any future staff reductions or program cuts this year?

Although the cuts came before the start of my tenure, I completely support the actions of the executive team. They had no choice but to make these painful decisions. NPR has benefited in the past by having diversified revenue streams, but in this unprecedented economy everything is down.

I wish I could say that the December cuts solved all our economic problems. They have not. But we are continuously monitoring our budget and spending and will make thoughtful decisions as the economy fluctuates.

The late Joan Kroc, the McDonald’s heiress, gave NPR a bequest of $230-million in 2003. Is that not helping to buffer NPR from the slumping economy?

When my appointment was first announced, many of my colleagues across the beleaguered media industry said, “Lucky you! With the Kroc money you have nothing to worry about!” How I wish that were true.

There are legal limitations on drawing from the Kroc fund. Further, the endowment is not meant to cover operating expenses. It was set up to support NPR in perpetuity. There are no shortcuts here — just hard choices.

What do you foresee NPR looking like in 10 years?

Looking into my crystal ball, here’s what I see: Ten years from now, NPR will be a thriving, independent, noncommercial, high-quality news-and-information service that serves local audiences on whatever platform they choose to embrace. Radio will continue to thrive, although it may be delivered in ways we have yet to contemplate. What we now know as “online” will be the catchphrase for the next generation of devices the audience decides to embrace.

But regardless of form, NPR will become the engine that powers a constellation of local digital services that convene audiences in every city, town, and campus with news from around the world and around the corner — and provides a platform for the members of the community to connect with each other.

What do you say to those who contend NPR has a liberal bias?

Having now worked at three major news organizations, I’m accustomed to unsubstantiated allegations of bias. To our critics I say: Look at our coverage — not just one piece on the radio or one article online, but the body of our work. It speaks to the unbiased, fact-based reporting for which NPR is rightly proud. And if that were not enough, our ombudsman provides us, and the public, a continuous assessment of our work.

Given the battering that many for-profit media outlets are taking in the economic downtown, do you think more of them should be privately held, or even seek nonprofit status?

Here we are back in crystal-ball territory again. It seems to me that the current shakeout will result in many news enterprises going under. Those that survive — and thrive — will be the nimble few who adhere to quality, who have long-range vision and committed leadership. Quality journalism is an expensive proposition — there are no shortcuts. But it will always have an audience, and funders who follow.

With regard to the fate of NPR, I am entirely optimistic. Even in this economy, NPR member stations report that individual listener support is at record levels. Our audience understands that noncommercial quality journalism is needed now more than ever. How else to understand the impact of the economy and the new administration? We believe our philanthropic partners understand the unique benefit we offer the country and will follow suit.