The Corp. for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced its closure following President Trump’s signing of legislation stripping its funding. The move has caused shock among public radio and television station managers across the country, who are now figuring out ways to keep their stations vibrant. The Corp. for Public Broadcasting administers funds for PBS TV affiliates and NPR radio stations, which serve over 1,500 local television and radio stations nationwide. A majority of staff positions will be cut on September 30, and a small transition team will remain through January.
Trump has made a priority of yanking federal funding from public broadcasters as part of a wider campaign against media outlets that he dislikes. The president derided PBS and NPR as government-funded “left-wing propaganda.” Lawmakers passed a “rescission” measure in mid-July, canceled $1.1 billion previously allocated for public broadcasting for two years. This left the public broadcasting group without a steady source of operating money, and little hope that more would be on the way.
Kliff Kuehl, chief executive of Kansas City PBS, is losing $1.8 million, or about 13% of its television budget and 9% of its financing for its radio operation. The move could cripple smaller public stations, including those in rural areas that struggle to mount high-dollar local membership campaigns. NPR has two large affiliates serving Los Angeles: KCRW-FM (89.9) and LAist/KPCC-FM (89.3).
