PBS President On Funding Attacks: This Time It's Different

For two decades, PBS President Paula Kerger has defended public media funding against skeptical politicians. 

However, since the second Trump administration began in January 2025, she faces an intensified wave of challenges centered on allegations of bias, a shift from past debates over funding legitimacy, she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution during PBS’s national convention in Atlanta.

New FCC Chairman Brendan Carr initiated a probe into PBS’s corporate underwriting practices, while President Trump attempted to oust two Democratic board members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which allocates $500 million annually to public broadcasters. 

The CPB is now suing over the move. Trump also signed an executive order this month to halt CPB funding to PBS and NPR, citing “bias,” though CPB operates under Congressional oversight. Additionally, PBS lost a $23 million Department of Education grant, forcing a 25% furlough of its PBS Kids staff.

PBS, which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, also lost a Department of Education grant for $23 million that helps fund kids’ programming, resulting in 25% of its PBS Kids staff being furloughed.

Paula Kerger

Kerger is rallying public support to pressure legislators, emphasizing PBS’s bipartisan legacy since 1969, with iconic programs like Sesame Street, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Frontline, and PBS NewsHour.

Excerpts from AJC’s Interview with Kerger (Edited for Clarity):

AJC: How is PBS faring amid these attacks?
Kerger: We’re resilient, like when cable channels like A&E and Bravo mimicked PBS but later shifted to reality TV and reruns. PBS exists to address market failures—programming like investigative journalism and kids’ content that commercial media can’t sustain. Streaming has reduced kids’ programming and documentaries elsewhere, but PBS persists.

AJC: How do you maintain the PBS brand?
Kerger: Our brand thrives by telling untold stories with integrity. Frontline’s investigative journalism is critical, especially now, as others abandon it due to cost and risk. These stories are vital for public discourse.

AJC: How are you adapting to the shift from TV to streaming?
Kerger: Broadcast viewership is down, but our digital audience is soaring. We’re experimenting on platforms like YouTube, where our creators complement our broadcast content with fresh approaches.