Funding cuts kill the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

Funding cuts kill the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

Convicted felon President Trump and Republicans in Congress kill the CPB

By Lynda Carson - August 2, 2025

Yesterday on August 1, 2025, in a press release the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that helps to distribute funding to public media / radio / television / PBS and NPR stations all across the nation has announced, “The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissions package and the release of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill, which excludes funding for CPB for the first time in more than five decades.”

That’s right. The convicted felon President Donald J. Trump and his Republican myrmidons in Congress managed to kill the CPB with rescissions and funding cuts despite the fact that tens of millions of Americans and voters all across the nation contacted their members of Congress to demand full funding for the CPB.

For what it’s worth, Houston's KUHT is the nation's first public television station https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/tv8/ , and signed on the air on May 25, 1953, from the campus of the University of Houston.

Additionally, KPFA FM radio station https://kpfa.org/ in Berkeley, CA, is the nation’s first public radio (listener supported radio station) to go on the air in 1949.

Rabid dog pitbull Republicans have attacked public television and radio for years, in an unholy crusade against the American public.

Reportedly, “Public television and radio in the U.S. has, from the late 1960s onward, dealt with severe criticism from conservative politicians and think-tanks (such as The Heritage Foundation), which allege that its programming has a leftist bias. Partly because of this belief, although it accounts for only a small fraction of government spending overall, some conservatives (including Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Donald Trump, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich) have made various efforts to defund or privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through federal budget legislation.”

Additionally as the brutal attacks continued against PBS, reportedly “In response to a 2020 effort to defund public media, the PBS president and CEO, Paula Kerger, issued a statement noting that “PBS and our member stations have earned bipartisan Congressional support because of the vital role that public television plays in homes and communities across the country. For 50 years, PBS has served as a trusted source for educational and thought-provoking programming, including school readiness initiatives for children, support for teachers and caregivers, public safety communications and lifelong learning across broadcast and digital platforms.”

August 1, 2025, PBS Newshour Report:

In a PBS Newshour report, in part it states, “The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a cornerstone of American culture for three generations, announced Friday it would take steps toward its own closure after being defunded by Congress — marking the end of a nearly six-decade era in which it fueled the production of renowned educational programming, cultural content and even emergency alerts.

The demise of the corporation, known as CPB, is a direct result of President Donald Trump’s targeting of public media, which he has repeatedly said is spreading political and cultural views antithetical to those the United States should be espousing. The closure is expected to have a profound impact on the journalistic and cultural landscape — in particular, public radio and TV stations in small communities across the United States. CPB helps fund both PBS and NPR.

The corporation also has deep ties to much of the nation’s most familiar programming, from NPR’s “All Things Considered” to, historically, “Sesame Street,” “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and the documentaries of Ken Burns.”


For more, click below for some Google Headlines about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting…

https://news.google.com/search?q=corporation%20for%20public%20broadcasting&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen


See Press Release below from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Addresses Operations Following Loss of Federal Funding

https://cpb.org/pressroom/Corporation-Public-Broadcasting-Addresses-Operations-Following-Loss-Federal-Funding

August 1, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissions package and the release of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill, which excludes funding for CPB for the first time in more than five decades.
For nearly 60 years, CPB has carried out its Congressional mission to build and sustain a trusted public media system that informs, educates, and serves communities across the country.

Through partnerships with local stations and producers, CPB has supported educational content, locally relevant journalism, emergency communications, cultural programming, and essential services for Americans in every community.

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison. “CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.”

CPB informed its employees today that the majority of staff positions will conclude with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025. A small transition team will remain through January 2026 to ensure a responsible and orderly closeout of operations. This team will focus on compliance, final distributions, and resolution of long-term financial obligations, including ensuring continuity for music rights and royalties that remain essential to the public media system.

“Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country,” Harrison said. “We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.”

CPB’s Board of Directors and management are working closely to address the legal, financial, and operational requirements of the closure. CPB will provide regular updates and guidance to stations and producers navigating the profound challenges ahead.

About CPB

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit http://www.cpb.org and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.”

More press releases from the CPB may be found here, https://cpb.org/press-categories/patricia-harrison .

A CPB station finder may be found here, https://cpb.org/cpb-station-finder/None/TV .


Below is a statement yesterday from NPR:

Statement from Katherine Maher, NPR President & CEO, on Closure of Corporation for Public Broadcasting

August 1, 20253:29 PM ET

WASHINGTON, D.C. — August 1, 2025 — Today, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that it will begin a "wind-down of its operations" and ultimate full operational closure following the passage of a federal rescissions package and the release of the Senate Appropriations Committee's FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill.

In response, Katherine Maher, President & CEO of NPR, issued the following statement:

"The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has been a cornerstone of public broadcasting in the United States for more than half a century. It has served as a vital source of funding for local stations, a champion of educational and cultural programming, and a bulwark for independent journalism — enabling organizations like ours to deliver essential news and culture across the nation.

CPB upheld the core values of the Public Broadcasting Act, including support for diverse voices, promotion of excellence and creative risk, and advancing service for the unserved and underserved. It empowered countless journalists, producers, and educators to create programming that has enriched lives, fostered understanding, and held power accountable. The ripple effects of this closure will be felt across every public media organization and, more importantly, in every community across the country that relies on public broadcasting.

The closure of CPB represents the loss of a major institution and decades of knowledge and expertise; an immediate consequence of the passage of H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025. We're grateful to CPB staff for their many years of service to public media.

As an independent, nonprofit news organization, NPR remains resolute in our pursuit of our mission: to create an informed and inspired public in partnership with our Member stations. We will continue to respond to this crisis by stepping up to support locally owned, nonprofit public radio stations and local journalism across the country, working to maintain public media's promise of universal service, and upholding the highest standards for independent journalism and cultural programming in service of our nation.”


Public broadcasting in the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_broadcasting_in_the_United_States


Corporation for Public Broadcasting latest 990 tax filing:

For the 2022 calendar year, or tax year beginning 10-01-2022 , and ending 09-30-2023

501(c)(3)

401 NINTH STREET NW 200
WASHINGTON, DC20002129

Telephone number

(202) 879-9600

Gross receipts $939,310,493

After subtracting their liabilities from the assets CPB had net assets or a fund balance of $170,293,882.

Click below for CPB latest 990 tax filing…

https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/132607374/202422289349300042/full


As the master plan unfolds of the convicted felon President Trump and his Republican myrmidons attacking the American public, it has been a terrifying situation for millions of people across the nation.

The on-going cruel, brutal attacks against public media, CPB, PBS, NPR, Social Security, the public library system, museums, the Smithsonian Institute, the National Endowment of the Arts, the news media, College Universities, women’s reproductive rights, unhoused and homeless persons, migrant workers, the LGBTQ plus community, federal workers and federal agencies, in addition to the attacks on the medicaid healthcare system and food assistance programs for the needy, the convicted felon President Trump’s vicious war against the American public have horrified millions of people all across the nation day to day, and moment to moment.

Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

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