The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private nonprofit corporation founded in 1968, is set to close after the U.S. government withdrew funding for public broadcasting. The corporation, which supports PBS, NPR, 1,500 local radio and television stations, and programs like “Sesame Street” and “Finding Your Roots,” will end most staff positions by the fiscal year on September 30. The cuts are expected to impact smaller public media outlets away from big cities, with NPR’s president estimating as many as 80 stations may close in the next year.
The corporation does not produce programming or own, operate, or control any public broadcasting stations. Rural stations are hit hard, with approximately 70% of the corporation’s money going directly to 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it is likely some stations will have to close.
Sesame Street, a popular children’s program, has become household favorites over the decades, with its characters and content becoming household favorites. The show, which was designed by education professionals and child psychologists to help low-income and minority students overcome deficiencies when entering school, has been widely cited for its impact.
