Has NPR evolved since its inception? Sure. But "nor has it ever been" is... misleading at best:

> Funding for NPR comes from [...other sources...] and annual grants from the publicly-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Hmm, let's look into said Corporation:

> On February 26, 1970, the CPB formed National Public Radio (NPR)

> The CPB's annual budget is composed almost entirely of an annual appropriation from Congress plus interest on those funds.

> The CPB is governed by a nine-member board of directors selected by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate

I mean... If this wasn't "state-affiliated media" at its inception, I'm not entirely sure what is.