The Late Show, Stephen Colbert last Thursday dedicated the final eight minutes to highlighting the importance of public radio, interviewing NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher about the severe impact of federal funding cuts that threaten to close dozens of local stations.
In July, Congress slashed $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports NPR and PBS, as part of Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” The CPB is slated to shut down in October, endangering many public radio stations. Maher estimated that 70 to 80 of NPR’s 246 member stations, which reach 99.7% of the U.S., could cease operations.
Maher warned that these closures would exacerbate the decline of local news, noting that one in five Americans already lacks access to local news sources. “When you take away local public radio, you’re undercutting our ability to trust one another… and the very institution of democracy itself,” she said.
While NPR’s national programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered rely on federal funding for only about 1% of their budgets, local programming will bear the brunt of the cuts. Colbert and Maher highlighted shows like South Carolina’s Walter Edgar’s Journal, Vermont Public Radio’s But Why?, and Cincinnati’s Backed Up, a plumbing-focused program, as well as Utah’s lost dog reports and Alaska’s community classifieds, which foster local connections.
Maher emphasized the irony of funding cuts from those advocating “old-fashioned values,” saying, “This is old-fashioned community connection.” Colbert concluded by thanking Maher for her efforts to preserve public airwaves.