Corporation behind funds for PBS and NPR says itโ€™s ending operations after Trump cuts


The Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it will wind down its operations after the Trump administration and Congress slashed its funding.

The organization funds PBS and NPR, as well as more than 1,500 local TV and radio stations. The โ€œmajority of staff positionsโ€ will end on September 30, 2025, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said in a statement. A โ€œsmall transition teamโ€ will remain through January 2026 to help close out operations.

โ€œDespite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,โ€ Corporation for Public Broadcasting President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a statement.

The organization cited a recent Senate Appropriations Committee bill for the upcoming fiscal year, which excluded Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding โ€œfor the first time in more than five decades.โ€

The organization also cited a โ€œfederal rescissions package,โ€ which canceled $1.1 billion that had been approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. President Donald Trump signed the bill last week.

โ€œPublic media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country,โ€ Harrison said. โ€œWe are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.โ€

Trump had issued an executive order in May instructing the agency “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS.โ€ The White House went on to post a statement accusing the outlets of โ€œbiasโ€ and spreading โ€œradical, woke propaganda.โ€ The broadcasters receive about half a billion dollars in public funds through the organization, CBS News reports.

NPR called the executive order โ€œan affront to the First Amendment rights of NPR and locally owned and operated stations throughout America to produce and air programming that meets the needs of their communities.โ€

PBS CEO and President Paula Kerger said in April that a loss of funding could “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.”

Kerger and Katherine Maher, President and CEO of NPR, also defended their organizations from accusations of bias at a Congressional hearing in March.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Leave comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *.