National Public Radio: a well-known US radio network, famous for news, talk, and culture rather than pop hits or ads all day. People say 'I heard it on NPR' the way others say 'I heard it on the BBC.' It is not a commercial pop station, and it is not a government mouthpiece either — though actually a lot of its money now comes from listeners, foundations, and underwriters, not only from public funds. 'Public' here does not mean state radio in the way some countries run it. Outside the US the letters still point to that American network, not to public radio in general. You say the letters one by one: N-P-R.