Congress is set to vote by Friday on a White House rescission package that would cut over $500 million annually from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds public radio and TV stations nationwide. President Trump has pushed for the cuts, threatening to withhold support from Republican lawmakers who oppose the proposal. If passed, the cuts would begin in October, severely impacting local stations, many of which rely on CPB for over 50% of their budgets.
Smaller stations, like those in Alaska where up to 95% of funding comes from CPB, face potential closure, according to Ed Ulman of Alaska Public Media. This would end programs like those tied to “Molly of Denali” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s local content, including lawmaker interviews, historical documentaries, and high school sports, would also likely be slashed.
NPR and PBS, while less dependent on federal funds, would face challenges.
NPR’s Katherine Maher indicated possible staff cuts, and PBS’s Paula Kerger called the impact “significant.”
The layoffs, affecting content-producing departments most heavily, include disbanding the digital video team and slashing the education department. KQED will halt retirement contributions and freeze salaries, aiming to reduce the deficit by 90% next year. The cuts end programs like Youth Takeover and scale back initiatives like Deep Look.
The broader public media system faces existential threats from declining broadcast audiences, sluggish revenue growth, and new economic pressures. KQED’s past expansion, fueled by a $45 million fundraising campaign and a $94 million renovation, has not yielded proportional financial support.
Corporate sponsorships have softened, and the Trump administration’s moves, including a Senate vote to cut $1.1 billion from CPB and an FCC probe into underwriting practices, add further strain. NPR and PBS are suing to block an executive order targeting their funding, as stations like KQED rely on reserves and brace for an uncertain future.