This week, Republicans in Congress cut over $1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
CPB is a publicly funded nonprofit that grants money to more than 1,500 NPR, PBS, and local radio and television stations across the country. Typically, it gets about $535 million a year.
The new retirement bill, which is set to go to President Trump, will limit funding for the next two fiscal years.
Walt Greg, who oversees Coobe in St. Paul, Alaska, and KCUK in Schvac, Alaska, expressed concern that if CPB shuts down, his station may not survive past next summer.
“Without them, there’s nothing in that community,” he remarked. “No local television, no local newspapers; some areas don’t even have internet access.” Major urban stations will lose significant funds too, but reliance on federal money is generally less for them.
This situation illustrates the broader impact on public media outlets nationwide.
Small Stations Facing Significant Challenges
In 2023, CPB funding made up nearly 97% of Kuhb’s revenue, putting it in a particularly vulnerable position. Alex Curley, a former NPR product manager, has gathered data suggesting similar vulnerabilities among numerous stations.
Other at-risk stations include KCUW in Pendleton, Oregon; Kshi in Zuni Pueblo, NM; KNSA in Unalakleet, Alaska; KSDP in Sandpoint, Alaska; and KGVA in Harlem. These stations primarily serve Native American communities and depend on CPB funds for over 80% of their annual budgets.
Senator Minecround (Rs.D.) voiced concerns over the cuts impacting tribal media, mentioning his efforts to redirect other funds to help them.
On average, radio stations in the African American public radio consortium get about 28% of their funding from the federal government, according to estimates.
Curley noted that stations generating more revenue tend to have more stability, but many at risk struggle to make enough money.
The extent of the cuts will vary state by state. In West Virginia, for instance, the average station relies on federal funding for about 37% of its revenue, the highest in the nation, followed closely by Alaska and New Mexico.
Back in 2011, NPR explored the ramifications of a complete halt to federal funding for public broadcasting. Their findings suggested that about 18% of roughly 1,000 member stations could close, with the Midwest, South, and West being hit the hardest.
Curley estimates that around 15% of the 433 stations he analyzed could shut down in the next three years if federal funding is lost.
Major Stations Still at Risk
On average, public media stations rely on federal funds for around 15% of their budgets, but larger stations may be somewhat insulated from the cuts.
For instance, KQED, a PBS affiliate in San Francisco, receives about 7% of its annual budget from federal funds, while Baltimore’s WYPR sees around 6%. Similar figures are found in Chicago and Philadelphia.
Boston’s WBUR gets close to $1.6 million from CPB, which is about 3% of its budget.
Still, these cuts arrive at a tough time for local media, which has faced severe layoffs and consolidation over the last two decades.
KQED recently laid off around 45 employees, representing about 15% of its workforce, while operating with a $12 million budget deficit even without the looming federal cuts.
Loss of CPB funding could lead stations to scale back their own programming or reduce the variety of content aired from NPR or other partners.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
The closure of local stations could worsen the significant downsizing of local media seen over the last 20 years.
Federal funding accounts for about 1% of NPR’s national budget. The organization has around 250 member stations, which rely on CPB payments for broadcasting programming.
Membership fees from these stations contribute to around 30% of NPR’s total revenue, with an average member station receiving about 13% of its funding from CPB.
Local radio has a vital role in covering local government issues and emergency alerts. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) highlighted this after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Alaska, emphasizing the importance of local stations that relay crucial information.
“Some colleagues claim they’re cutting ‘radical left-wing organizations,’ but in Alaska, these are community-focused organizations,” Murkowski stated.
Greg, the Alaska station manager, worries that if his station shuts down, it won’t be revitalized. He noted that while listeners are upset, many have come to accept the potential loss.
“Many in the bush communities have been through similar situations before, so they feel overwhelmed,” he added.
