Public broadcasting entity, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, ceasing operations.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a long-standing institution that has been in operation for nearly 60 years, is winding down its operations following a significant funding cut by the Trump administration.
The funding loss, amounting to almost $500 million, was clawed back by Congress during a vote on a rescissions package on July 17, 2021. This decision was led by Republicans who viewed CPB-funded outlets like NPR and PBS as partisan, liberal-leaning, and biased political propaganda.
Trump himself called NPR "a total scam" and a "liberal disinformation machine," while GOP leaders argued that taxpayer dollars should not fund what they considered left-wing opinion journalism. This led to Republicans, after gaining unified control of Congress in 2025, pushing through a rescission—a formal cancellation of already appropriated federal funds—removing $1.1 billion of CPB funding through fiscal year 2027[1][2].
The funding cut passed as part of a broader $9 billion rescissions package, approved with few Republican defections. GOP leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise celebrated the move as returning money to taxpayers and ending what they described as wasteful spending on partisan media. Members of the GOP emphasized that while NPR and PBS could continue broadcasting, they would no longer receive federal funding[1][2].
As a result, the CPB announced it would wind down its operations, effectively shutting down due to the loss of Federal funding. This has caused concern, especially in rural and less commercially viable markets, as funding from the CPB covers a large portion (30-70%) of many local stations’ operating budgets[1][4].
In a statement, CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison expressed gratitude to partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people. Harrison also highlighted the role of public media in American life, stating that it has provided educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country[5].
The closure of the CPB marks a significant blow to the public broadcasting system that supports local NPR and PBS stations across the U.S. Efforts have been made by public TV and radio stations in recent years to make conservatives happy, but this was never enough to satisfy them[6]. The fight against public media has been more of an ideological project than a desire for political "balance" within the MAGA movement[7].
It is worth noting that Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative aimed at shaping the federal government's direction and staffing following the Trump administration's political and ideological goals, includes attacking and defunding public media as part of its strategies[8].
Local public TV or radio stations may still exist in a diminished form after the CPB's closure. Public broadcasting in the U.S. is supported by a mix of federal dollars, local money, sponsorships from private foundations, commercial advertisers, and financial contributions from viewers.
References: 1. The Hill 2. The Washington Post 3. NPR 4. The Verge 5. CPB Statement 6. The New York Times 7. The Intercept 8. Media Matters
- The funding loss for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was led by Republicans, who deemed CPB-funded outlets like NPR and PBS as biased political propaganda, eventually leading to a rescission of $1.1 billion in CPB funding over several years.
- This decision to defund the CPB was part of a broader $9 billion rescissions package, with GOP leaders describing it as an end to wasteful spending on partisan media.
- As a result of the funding cut, the CPB announced it would wind down its operations, raising concerns, particularly in rural and less commercially viable markets where CPB funding covered a large portion of many local stations' operating budgets.
- The closure of the CPB marks a significant step in the ongoing ideological project of attacking and defunding public media, as part of the conservative policy initiative called Project 2025, inspired by Donald Trump's political and ideological goals.
