NPR Logo

NPR Logo PNG

The NPR logo demonstrates working in tandem, bringing together many stations broadcasting on the air. The emblem is a symbol of work for people and the maintenance of uniform standards throughout the coverage area.

Meaning and History

Since 1971, this American media organization has been officially called National Public Radio. However, it is better known by its trademark NPR, which has been used in slogans and logos for many years. In the old radio network emblem, all three letters were lowercase, and their geometric shape matched the curves of the microphone depicted nearby – the main attribute of radio broadcasting.

In the mid-1990s, Steff Geissbuhler from C&G Partners developed a flexible corporate style for the group of radio stations. This resulted in an icon with the uppercase inscription “NPR,” where each glyph was in its “sound” square. They varied in colors and decorative line’ arrangement. By the end of the millennium, it became clear that this logo was too detailed and blurry for use on the internet. New designers changed the letters to lowercase and removed the patterns, filling the squares with solid colors.

What is NPR?

National Public Radio broadcasts through a satellite system and distributes news and cultural programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The network’s profit is around 6 million dollars.

1971 – 1994

The first logo is made in the form of a professional microphone, which is used by the presenters in the studio and singers while recording songs. The image immediately showed which area the organization belongs to.

Next to the microphone is the abbreviation of the name NPR (National Public Radio) in lowercase letters. The symbols are as streamlined as the microphone and repeat their individual parts. The company has two names at the same time. Legally it is National Public Radio, and its registered trademark is “NPR.” All logos use the last abbreviation.

1994 – 1998

In 1994, NPR got a new president, who was in office until 1998. In connection with his policy, the company’s visual representation has changed dramatically.

The emphasis in the new logo is on radio waves. The three letters of the name stand apart from each other, and each of them emits a signal in the form of spreading circles and stripes. Each symbol has its color, and under it is a signature that deciphers the abbreviation.

The distance between the letters and the existence of each of them as a separate complex tells about the solution to the financial problem that the company had in 1983. In order to avoid bankruptcy, the scholarship that the state allocated to the organization directly was divided among individual stations, which supported the central apparatus in the form of subscribers. Essentially, NPR itself consisted of a tandem of individual stations operating through its satellite feeds.

Three letters can talk about broadcasting using radio waves of different ranges: short, medium, and long.

1998 – today

In 1998, management changed again. Kevin Klose, who comes from the International Broadcasting Bureau and has significant management experience, has made an effort to replace the inconvenient previous logo, which was difficult to place on small surfaces.

The latest modification of the emblem, created under his direction and still in use today, also shows the company’s work in the form of individual stations. But to implement the idea, three connected multi-colored squares were used: red, black, and blue, each containing one lowercase letter of the name. This eliminated the gaps between the elements and made the lettering clearer. The need to decipher each character has disappeared.

Drawing up the name in the form of cubes showed the mobility of the construction of the ether. Various blocks from different departments and organizations can replace each other, creating a continuous broadcast. Using colored cubes demonstrates that NPR broadcasts on a wide range of wavelengths. Also, three colors can indicate three options for disseminating information: via radio, the Internet, and mobile networks.

NPR Music

In 2007, NPR launched a project for the Music Discovery service, which broadcasts podcasts, concerts, news, and radio music programs.

The emblem of the project consists of a combination of the main logo of the Public Radio and the word “music.” The main sign demonstrates that the service belongs to a larger and more well-known enterprise. The second half of the emblem is in a completely different style from the NPR bricks. This copies the idea behind the Amazon project logos. Stripes up and down from the letter M represent sound waves, which enliven the sign.

Font and Colors

The main colors of the emblem are red, black, blue, and white.

• Red – hot, latest news. Passion for your work. Movement in step with the times. The ability to change. With the advent of Internet technologies, NPR has moved into the field of digital broadcasting, creating podcasts and organized broadcasts through social networks. Developed an application for mobile phones. All of this is on par with the main work at radio frequencies.
• Black – a fundamental approach, many years of broadcasting, confidence in the future. The company does not plan to leave the air. For stability, two centers have been created in different parts of the country, and sponsors and government funds are being attracted. Therefore, the company is ready to survive in any situation.
• Blue – business skills, thoughtful planning, creating professional programs that users demand.
• White – renewal, the ability to start from the beginning.

The use of different colors and white letters show broadcasting at different wavelengths, which together form a single ethereal field.

NPR color codes