National Public Radio could survive without government aid, but doing so would require cutbacks that would hurt minorities and people who live in rural areas, said Ken Stern, chief executive of National Public Radio, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Stern talked about what National Public Radio is doing to compete with the demands of the digital age and also explained how National Public Radio has used a $225-million gift from Joan Kroc, an heir to the McDonald’s fortune, to improve its coverage by hiring more reporters in the United States and overseas.