National Federation of Community Broadcasters

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) is a nonprofit membership organization of nearly 200 community radio stations in the United States. Community stations are independent, nonprofit organizations and their broadcast service is noncommercial. These stations are governed, operated, and financially supported by people in the communities they serve. They provide opportunities for individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own stories and celebrate their own culture. Their programming is often a blend of hyperlocal focus and global sensibilities, mixing news, public affairs, music, and cultural expression.

Community volunteers play significant roles in creating programming and providing behind the scenes support to community radio stations. Most stations complement their broadcasts with online streaming and other digital services, as well as by sponsoring local events such as concerts and issue forums. Most do not have budgets that allow them to join the NPR network or carry national news magazines.

Over half of NFCB’s member stations serve small, rural communities in which they are often the only locally controlled daily media and the only source of local news. Others work in larger urban areas and focus on communities that are otherwise not well-reflected in the commercial radio marketplace. These commitments are challenging and constrain the resources of most community radio stations. More than 6 in 10 NFCB members report annual budgets under $100,000.