The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced on Friday that it will cease operations due to a significant loss of federal funding. This marks the end of years of financial backing for regional television and radio stations that heavily relied on CPB’s grants.
Reports from Capitol Hill indicate that the Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives approved a deep $9 billion cut to public media and foreign aid in the previous month. This includes a substantial $1.1 billion reduction for the CPB, a critical distributor of funds to news outlets such as National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service.
CPB has informed its staff that most will be dismissed by the end of September, except for a small transition team that will ensure an orderly closeout of operations through January 2026.
Established by U.S. Congress in 1967, the CPB has annually distributed over $500 million to PBS, NPR, and more than 1,500 locally operated public radio and television stations. The significance of this should not be overlooked, as it raises important questions about the future of public media in our nation.
The story of a significant change in the funding landscape for public media, marking a turning point for thousands of broadcasters and, indeed, for the American public.
