NPR sees sharp downturn in advertising revenue, leading to talk of cuts

It was inevitable.

NPR’s new chief executive is signaling that there may be some static ahead for the radio and digital news organization. Halfway through its fiscal year — and six months into Gary Knell’s tenure as chief executive —

 Washington-based NPR has seen a sharp downturn in corporate “underwriting,” or         advertising  revenue. The falloff has led to projections of an annual operating deficit and internal  discussions about staff and program cuts.