The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a pillar of American media for nearly six decades, announced Friday that it will begin a formal shutdown process following the complete loss of federal funding by the Trump administration. The decision comes after Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in appropriations for the next two budget years, effectively eliminating the organization’s lifeline.“This marks the end of a historic era in which public broadcasting played an essential role in shaping America’s cultural and educational landscape,” said Patricia Harrison, CPB’s president and CEO. “Despite 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,” she added as quoted by AP.The move was driven by US President Trump, who has long targeted public broadcasting, labeling the CPB a “monstrosity” and accusing it of promoting cultural and political narratives he considers “un-American.” His administration has also shut down other publicly funded media institutions, including Voice of America, and in April, Trump dismissed three CPB board members in what they described as a politically motivated overreach.The senate appropriations committee reinforced the funding cut on Thursday by excluding CPB from its annual budget bill for the first time in more than 50 years. Democratic lawmakers made a final push to restore funding, but the effort fell short. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) offered, then withdrew, an amendment to reinstate funds, saying she would continue working to “fix this before there are devastating consequences.” In response, senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said, “We litigated this two weeks ago. Adopting this amendment would have been contrary to what we have already voted on.”
Local stations, iconic programming face fallout
Founded in 1967 and signed into law by former President Lyndon B Johnson, CPB has funded more than 1,500 public radio and TV stations, especially in small and rural communities. It has supported iconic programming such as “Sesame Street,” “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and the documentaries of Ken Burns. It also plays a critical role in delivering emergency alerts and public safety communications across the country.Most of CPB’s funding has gone directly to local stations, including 330 PBS and 246 NPR affiliates. Roughly 70% of federal funding is distributed at the local level. NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher recently noted that about 96% of classical music broadcasts in the US air on public radio stations- programming that may now be in jeopardy.As part of its shutdown, CPB informed staff on Friday that most positions will end by September 30, the close of the fiscal year. A small transition team will stay on through January to manage final operations, including music licensing and royalty agreements.“Public 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,” Harrison said as quoted by AP.“We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.”
