Seth MacFarlane Donates to NPR, KPCC After Slamming Fox News

By Tara Bitran

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In light of Seth MacFarlane’s tweets this weekend expressing his embarrassment at working for Fox and condemnation of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson’s diatribe against trusting all non- media, the “Family Guy” creator has followed up with a counter-tactic against the network.

As his tweet on Saturday decried the idea to “just blindly obey Fox News,” MacFarlane has donated $2 million to NPR and $500,000 to Los Angeles’ NPR membership station, KPCC, the top news distribution for NPR content in California.

In a statement, NPR confirmed MacFarlane’s donation. “We are thankful to all who support quality, independent journalism,” the statement reads. “A broad range of donors, with contributions large and small, recognize that NPR and hundreds of NPR Member stations across the country provide an essential service to the American public. We are deeply appreciative of the generous gift from , which will go to supporting local news coverage, allowing NPR and Member stations to continue working together to tell the story of the whole country from everywhere in the country.”

KPCC also manages outlets like the popular LAist  brand, which expressed immense gratitude for the donation in an article on Tuesday. According to LAist, MacFarlane reached out to KPCC on Sunday and the deal came through right away.

“MacFarlane said he was interested in having his donation support independent, non-profit, non-biased media — and encouraging more philanthropy from others to support our work,” LAist explained. “MacFarlane’s contribution is set to be used as a challenge grant in our ongoing fundraising campaign, as part of that effort to encourage others to step up for his cause.”

Bill Davis, president and CEO of Southern California Public Radio, said in a statement: “We are deeply moved by Seth’s generous contribution to Southern California Public Radio, KPCC, and NPR. It is this local/national partnership that is the heart of our shared public service mission and we are committed to more fully realizing that mission thanks to this gift and his challenge for others to join us.”

MacFarlane is not the only content creator at Fox rueful of his involvement with the company and association with Fox News, as “Modern Family” co-creator Steve Levitan said: “I’m disgusted to work at a company that has anything whatsoever to do with Fox News. This bulls–t is the opposite of what ‘’ stands for.” Paul Feig and Judd Apatow have also come out against the company’s news division.

Deadline  first reported the news of MacFarlane’s donations.