Public media outlets are facing significant challenges following President Trump’s decision in July to cut over $1 billion in federal funding, which includes the dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
The impact is particularly severe for broadcasters in rural regions, where funding was already scarce. As a result, many stations are resorting to staff layoffs and automated programming to cope with their diminishing budgets.
“These stations were already stressed before the funding cuts,” noted Scott Finn, the former president and CEO of Vermont Public. He highlighted ongoing pressures in the local news sector, like declining revenue and changes in how audiences spend their money.
“Moreover, stations are losing a significant portion of their funding, with some experiencing cuts of 50% or more,” he added. “While the average station loses less, those that are most impacted are the ones that rely on those funds the most.”
KRBD, a small NPR station in Southeast Alaska, serves a community of around 20,000 people and saw nearly 40% of its funding disappear when the CPB was officially dissolved. An emergency fundraiser was launched, but it only managed to recover about half of the lost funds.
General Manager Mike Gates emphasized the station’s vital role in keeping remote communities informed during emergencies such as natural disasters.
Longtime listener Karen Petersen, a retired resident of Seattle, shared her concerns, stating she fears being cut off from vital information during severe weather events.
“The great thing about radio is that most people have them in their cars too,” she pointed out. “So, if you have to evacuate, you can still listen and get real-time updates.” She recounted instances where local information helped residents navigate landslides and other emergencies.
In July, the House of Representatives narrowly voted to cancel $9 billion in allocated funds, including the $1.1 billion originally intended for CPB. This shift means that, starting October 1, public media outlets haven’t had federal support for the first time since 1967.
President Trump justified the cuts in an executive order, claiming the media landscape is now “filled with rich, diverse, and innovative news options” and accused CPB of failing to uphold impartiality principles in how they subsidize NPR and PBS.
The order criticized both organizations for not providing a fair and balanced representation of current events to taxpayers.
Despite repeated attempts, the White House has not responded to inquiries from The Hill.
Petersen expressed that viewers should be able to judge the political neutrality of public media themselves rather than having the government make that decision for them. “It’s quite strange to think that people aren’t allowed to decide for themselves,” she remarked.
KRBD was one of two stations to receive temporary financial aid amidst staff reductions from Report for America, which assigns journalists to local news settings.
Meanwhile, in Washington State, only one public broadcaster ceased operations due to the funding cuts—Penn State’s PBS station, WPSU, ended its 60-year run.
Many stations are now forced to make tough choices due to reduced funding and staffing limitations, which hampers their overall news coverage. Zach Metzger, director of the State of Local News Project, noted that these cuts exacerbate already insufficient coverage capabilities.
Desiree Hagen is the only reporter and news director for KOTZ, an NPR station in Kotzview, Alaska, serving a primarily Alaska Native population. She mentioned that losing 41% of the station’s funding would have dire consequences for their operations.
“Getting back two years’ worth of funding is crucial for us, despite not seeming significant on a larger scale. For a small station, it’s a matter of survival,” she said.
New sources of funding are emerging, with plans like those from Joanne Kowalski’s Bob Ross company, which announced an auction of paintings to support local public media.
Additionally, seven charities pledged $37 million last month to bolster local public media as federal support dwindles.
Even better-funded public broadcasters are anxious about how the cuts will affect their programming. PBS Reno, which covers a large part of Nevada, still enjoys a robust program offering, primarily relying on federal funding for just 17% of its total budget.
However, concerns linger about the future of national programming, such as PBS shows “NOVA” and “Finding Your Roots,” according to PBS CEO Lino Kurt Mische.
“Most Americans want public broadcasting to be funded, so it’s extremely disappointing that Congress chose to proceed with these cuts against public opinion,” Mische stated, expressing worry about their long-term effects on major national broadcasts.
On October 1, GBH, PBS’s largest programming entity, launched a significant fundraising campaign called Fund the Future, aiming to secure $225 million over three years to navigate the current instability in public media funding.
GBH President Susan Goldberg remarked, “These are challenging times for public media, compelling us all to adapt swiftly.” She acknowledged the tough decisions ahead while focusing on maintaining investments in essential media for supporters globally.
