National Public Radio (NPR) | History, Shows, Tiny Desk, & Facts

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class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Public-Radio">National Public Radio</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/topic/National-Public-Radio">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref384478"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/National-Public-Radio#ref384478">NPR’s first broadcast</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref384479"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/National-Public-Radio#ref384479">Funding</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref384480"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/National-Public-Radio#ref384480">Notable shows and programming</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref384481"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/National-Public-Radio#ref384481"><em>Tiny Desk</em></a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Public-Radio/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/National-Public-Radio">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Public-Radio/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/259453-050-D64D9E57/headquarters-of-national-public-radio-npr.jpg" data-href="/media/1/405281/312724" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/259453-004-0E747862/headquarters-of-national-public-radio-npr.jpg" alt="A modern building with a tall colorful NPR logo, large glass windows, and a scrolling marquee." height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/259880-050-1AFBABB5/Tiny-Desk-Concerts-NPR-headquarters-2023.jpg" data-href="/media/1/405281/313818" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/259880-004-8D3EBE6F/Tiny-Desk-Concerts-NPR-headquarters-2023.jpg" alt="NPR's Tiny Desk in 2023, surrounded by books and memorabilia and with a camera used to record concerts in the foreground." height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/259457-050-A7C30022/Animated-GIF-viral-Usher-moment-Tiny-Desk-Concert.webp" data-href="/media/1/405281/312725" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/259457-004-2250DC2F/Animated-GIF-viral-Usher-moment-Tiny-Desk-Concert.webp" alt="Usher gestures with his hands and smiles while the text "WATCH THIS" appears at the bottom." height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.npr.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Official Site of National Public Radio</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/public-radio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University - Public Radio</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: NPR</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/aaron-wright/13043420" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Aaron Wright</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Aaron Wright was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopaedia Britannica. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a certificate in African American and Africana...</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Aaron Wright</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-10-24T00:00:00CDT" >Oct 24, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Public-Radio/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Date: </dt> <dd>1970 - present</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Areas Of Involvement: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/radio">radio</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/broadcasting">broadcasting</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/news">news</a></dd> <dd><a href="/art/dramatic-literature">dramatic literature</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/government">government</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Walter-Cronkite">Walter Cronkite</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Ira-Glass">Ira Glass</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Marian-McPartland">Marian McPartland</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Charlayne-Hunter-Gault">Charlayne Hunter-Gault</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Pauline-Frederick">Pauline Frederick</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/National-Public-Radio"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">National Public Radio, more commonly known as NPR, is the public <span id="ref19132"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/radio" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">radio</a> network of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a>. Based in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Washington, D.C.</a>, NPR offers a broad range of high-quality news and cultural <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="programming" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/programming" data-type="EB">programming</a> to hundreds of local public radio stations.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref384478"> <h2 class="h1">NPR’s first broadcast</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">U.S. Pres. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lyndon-B-Johnson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lyndon B. Johnson</a> signed the 1967 <span id="ref19133"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Public-Broadcasting-Act" class="md-crosslink ">Public Broadcasting Act</a> into law in order to support the “instructional, educational, and cultural purposes” of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Public-Broadcasting-Service" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">public television</a> and radio broadcasting for the American people, especially “children and minorities.” For this reason, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Congress-of-the-United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Congress</a> created the <span id="ref19134"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Corporation-for-Public-Broadcasting" class="md-crosslink ">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</a> (CPB), which on February 26, 1970, established NPR to provide programming to the country’s noncommercial and educational radio stations, most of them situated at the low end of the FM radio dial.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <div class="feature-block pullquote"><p class="topic-paragraph">“National Public Radio will serve the individual: it will promote personal growth; it will regard the individual differences among men with respect and joy rather than <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="derision" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derision" data-type="MW">derision</a> and hate; it will celebrate the human experience as infinitely varied rather than vacuous and banal; it will encourage a sense of active constructive participation, rather than <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="apathetic" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apathetic" data-type="MW">apathetic</a> helplessness.” —Bill Siemering, who in 1970 wrote this as part of NPR’s first mission statement</p></div> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">CPB’s board of directors then hired broadcast journalist Don Quayle to serve as the first president of NPR. With 88 member stations located across the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a> and a staff of 65 people, NPR got to work on creating what it intended to be a more informed public. NPR broadcast its first program—live coverage of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Senate-United-States-government" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">U.S. Senate</a> deliberations on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Vietnam War</a>—on April 20, 1971. Two weeks later NPR <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="debuted" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/debuted" data-type="EB">debuted</a> its flagship daily evening news program <em><span id="ref1328052"></span>All Things Considered</em>. Quayle hired <em>New York Times</em> reporter Robert Conley as the first host. Susan Stamberg made history as a cohost of <em>All Things Considered</em>, becoming the first woman to host a national news program in the U.S. The news program <em>Morning Edition</em> premiered on November 5, 1979, with coverage of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Iran-hostage-crisis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iran hostage crisis</a>.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In the decades since its launch, NPR has expanded its operations and show offerings considerably. It became the first network to broadcast live from the U.S. Senate floor in 1978, it opened the first of its international bureaus, in London, in 1979, and it completed the first nationwide radio satellite distribution network in 1980. During the early 1980s, NPR broadcast original plays and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="adaptations" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptations" data-type="MW">adaptations</a> of classic novels, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/jazz" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">jazz</a> concerts and festivals, and classical <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/music" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">music</a>. However, confronted with a $7 million debt in 1983, the network abandoned virtually all of its non-news programming. A financial restructuring that year resulted in the direct allocation of CPB grants to NPR member stations, which used the money to pay for network programs.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">As the 1990s turned into the 2000s, NPR adapted to evolving trends earlier than most news organizations at the time. In 1994 it launched NPR.org (audio streaming would come to the website in 1996). It opened a West Coast branch in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Culver-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Culver City</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/California-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">California</a>, in 2002. The popularity boom in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/podcast" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">podcasts</a> is commonly <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="attributed" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/attributed" data-type="EB">attributed</a> to the <em>New York Times</em>’s true-crime series <em>Serial</em>, which launched in 2014 under NPR-affiliate station WBEZ’s <em>This American Life</em>. NPR used that audio format as another avenue to share stories with a wider audience. After moving three times, NPR’s headquarters landed in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of NoMa in 2013. Today NPR has more than a thousand member stations across the country and a listenership in the tens of millions.</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref384479"> <h2 class="h1">Funding</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Gifts and grants from foundations, corporations, and individuals, together with member station fees and dues, provide NPR’s funding. As a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/donating-to-a-501c3-overview" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">501(c)(3)</a> independent nonprofit media organization, NPR operates independently of any corporation or government organization. The network is run by a board of directors—12 of whom are managers of member stations—as well as by the NPR Foundation’s board of trustees and the journalists, producers and audio engineers who generate NPR content. In order to be tax-exempt, NPR has to file paperwork with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/Internal-Revenue-Service" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">IRS</a> and <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742/public-radio-finances" data-show-preview="true">post</a> its annual financial reports and filings on its website.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The majority of NPR’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/revenue-economics" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">revenue</a> comes from <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="corporate" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/corporate" data-type="EB">corporate</a> sponsorships, fees from member organizations through the licensing of programs, and cash contributions. Member organizations receive most of their revenue from individual donors, corporations, foundations, and colleges and universities. These sources are often identified within NPR’s programming. The NPR Foundation helps with fundraising and securing charitable donations.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">NPR’s main expense involves generating content. The amount charged for this content changes each year because of economic conditions, special projects, the cost of news production, investments in technology, and other factors. NPR is represented to sponsors by National Public Media.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h4"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref384480"> <h2 class="h1">Notable shows and programming</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Besides <em>All Things Considered</em> and <em>Morning Edition</em>, NPR’s most popular offerings have included <em>Fresh Air</em> (begun 1975), an interview program hosted by <span id="ref1311300"></span>Terry Gross; <em>Talk of the Nation</em> (1991–2013), an interview and listener call-in program; race and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> podcast <em>Code Switch</em> (begun 2016); and <em>Car Talk</em>, an advice program that aired new episodes from 1977 to 2012.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">NPR and its member stations have also originated and syndicated such programs as <em>NPR Playhouse</em> (1981–2002), the environmentally focused <em>Living on Earth</em> (begun 1991), <em>Latino USA</em> (begun 1992), <em>On the Media</em> (begun 1995), the current-events <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/quiz-show-broadcasting" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">quiz show</a> <em>Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!</em> (begun 1998), hip-hop journalism show <em>Louder Than A Riot</em> (2020–23), and <em>This American Life</em> (begun 1995 as <em>Your Radio Playhouse</em>). Music programs include <em>Jazz Night in America</em> (begun 2014), <em>The Thistle & Shamrock</em> (1981–2024), <em>Tiny Desk</em> (begun 2008; <em>see below</em>), and <em>Afropop Worldwide</em> (begun 1988 as <em>Afropop</em>). Public media content organizations such as Public Radio Exchange (PRX) and American Public Media (APM) also distribute programming, including some of the shows above, to NPR stations.</p><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">With the advent of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/podcast" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">podcast</a> format and audio streaming services, such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Spotify" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Spotify</a>, NPR found another avenue through which to fulfill its mission. NPR has released long-form and investigative podcast projects, such as the history-based <em>Throughline</em> (begun 2019), as well as the true-crime series <em>White Lies</em> (begun 2019) and the documentary-style <em>Embedded</em> (begun 2016).</p><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD12 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">NPR also provides live coverage of significant news events, including major congressional hearings and presidential addresses. In 1993 the network began broadcasting overseas via satellite.</p><span class="marker MOD12 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h5"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref384481"> <h2 class="h1"><em><span id="ref1328045"></span>Tiny Desk</em></h2> <span class="marker PREMOD13 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="313818" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/259880-050-1AFBABB5/Tiny-Desk-Concerts-NPR-headquarters-2023.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/405281/313818"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/259880-050-1AFBABB5/Tiny-Desk-Concerts-NPR-headquarters-2023.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/259880-050-1AFBABB5/Tiny-Desk-Concerts-NPR-headquarters-2023.jpg?w=300" alt="NPR's Tiny Desk in 2023, surrounded by books and memorabilia and with a camera used to record concerts in the foreground." data-width="1600" data-height="1193" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/259880-050-1AFBABB5/Tiny-Desk-Concerts-NPR-headquarters-2023.jpg" data-href="/media/1/405281/313818">NPR's Tiny Desk</a><span>The desk at NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C., where <em>Tiny Desk</em> concerts are performed. The first concert happened on April 22, 2008, and the <em>Tiny Desk</em> program has significantly grown in popularity since then.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph"> <em>Tiny Desk</em> grew to become one of NPR’s most recognizable programs, thanks to memorable music performances and the power of the Internet. On April 22, 2008, the first <em>Tiny Desk</em> concert was uploaded as <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.npr.org/2008/04/22/89836427/laura-gibson-tiny-desk-concert" data-show-preview="true">part of a blog page</a> on NPR’s website. After former <em>All Things Considered</em> director Bob Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson couldn’t hear singer-songwriter Laura Gibson’s performance at a noisy bar, the pair invited her to perform behind Boilen’s desk at NPR headquarters. “Maybe it’s the start of something,” Boilen said at the time, “and maybe it’s not.”</p><span class="marker MOD13 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD14 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><span class="inline-youtube-video d-print-none"><iframe class="" width="560" height="315" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CIjXUg1s5gc?rel=0"></iframe></span>Throughout the years, <em>Tiny Desk</em> has remained a relatively <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="low-key" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/low-key" data-type="EB">low-key</a> affair: its producers invite mostly indie, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-music" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">folk</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/rock-and-roll-early-style-of-rock-music" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rock</a> artists to perform behind the desk. It wasn’t until 2014 that the show went viral, courtesy of former NPR producer Frannie Kelley and her team at NPR Music booking <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/rhythm-and-blues" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">R&B</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hip-hop</a> singer <span id="ref1328053"></span>T-Pain. He shed his signature <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Auto-Tune" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Auto-Tune</a> for an acoustic performance, carrying <em>Tiny Desk</em> to wider popularity than it had ever known.</p><span class="marker MOD14 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD15 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="312725" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/259457-050-A7C30022/Animated-GIF-viral-Usher-moment-Tiny-Desk-Concert.webp" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/405281/312725"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/259457-050-A7C30022/Animated-GIF-viral-Usher-moment-Tiny-Desk-Concert.webp?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/259457-050-A7C30022/Animated-GIF-viral-Usher-moment-Tiny-Desk-Concert.webp?w=300" alt="Usher gestures with his hands and smiles while the text "WATCH THIS" appears at the bottom." data-width="800" data-height="448" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/259457-050-A7C30022/Animated-GIF-viral-Usher-moment-Tiny-Desk-Concert.webp" data-href="/media/1/405281/312725">Usher's viral “Watch This” meme</a><span>As seen on his 2022 <em>Tiny Desk</em> appearance, Usher makes a gesture that primes the crowd for his performance of “Confessions Part II.” This would quickly become a viral meme on the Internet, being used for a variety of scenarios.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><em>Tiny Desk</em> has grown to become an American pop culture cornerstone, where artists big, small, domestic, or international come to a small office space in the U.S. capital to give a memorable performance that has no concert or studio acoustics. Part of the show’s virality comes from the power of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-media" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">social media</a>, through which millions of fans can share their favorite moments from an artist’s <em>Tiny Desk</em> performance. <span id="ref1328054"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Usher" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Usher</a>’s “Watch this” comment during the opening of his 2022 performance of “Confessions Part II” was so popular that it conquered the Internet as a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/meme" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">meme</a>.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD15 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD16 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Even amid the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/What-was-the-impact-of-COVID-19" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">COVID-19 pandemic</a> that began in 2020, when <em>Tiny Desk</em> briefly presented performances as <em>Tiny Desk</em> “(home) concerts,” artists still gave <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="exemplary" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exemplary" data-type="MW">exemplary</a> and unique set lists and performances to fans across the world.</p><span class="marker MOD16 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/contributor/aaron-wright/13043420">Aaron Wright</a></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":405281,"pageLength":1299,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"LARGE","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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