Washington, D.C. โ May 1, 2025
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order ending all federal funding for NPR and PBS, accusing the public broadcasters of political bias and failing to meet journalistic neutrality standards.
The directive instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease all direct and indirect support for NPR and PBS by June 30. The move marks a significant shift in U.S. public broadcasting policy, with potentially wide-reaching consequences for local media nationwide.
Trump Executive Order Targets Public Broadcasting
Established in 1967, the CPB is a nonprofit corporation that allocates federal funds to over 1,400 local public broadcasting stations. While NPR and PBS receive some support from the CPB, most of their revenue comes from private donations, sponsorships, and grants.
Still, many rural stations rely heavily on CPB grantsโsometimes up to 40% of their budgetsโto provide educational, cultural, and emergency programming.
Trumpโs executive order, titled โEnding Taxpayer Subsidisation of Biased Media,โ argues that taxpayer dollars should not support what he calls โpartisan and unaccountable media platforms.โ The administration has also proposed a $9.1 billion rescission package to eliminate remaining CPB funding.
CPB and Public Media Respond with Legal Challenge
In response, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, contesting the removal of several board members and arguing that the president lacks the authority to restructure the nonprofitโs operations.
PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said the decision โundermines the essential role public media plays in providing free access to trusted information and educational programming.โ She warned that defunding could disproportionately impact underserved and rural communities.
NPR COO Loren Mayor also expressed concern, saying the order โjeopardises the sustainability of local stations that depend on CPB grants to continue producing fact-based journalism and serving their communities.โ
Impact: Local Stations and Rural Communities at Risk
The NPR and PBS funding cuts could severely affect local affiliates, particularly in rural areas. These stations often rely on CPB support to fund original content, maintain staff, and keep critical public services operational.
Many in the media industry fear that the CPB funding termination may lead to widespread programming reductions, staff layoffs, and increased media deserts in low-income or remote regions.
This development follows previous actions by the Trump administration to reduce public spending on media initiatives, including curtailing USAID media programs and reshaping operations at Voice of America.
Whatโs Next for Public Broadcasting
The CPBโs legal action may result in judicial scrutiny over the presidentโs authority to defund independent nonprofit entities. Congressional leaders have not announced whether they will intervene or support legislative efforts to preserve public broadcastingโs federal funding.
Advocates for public media have called on Congress to safeguard the role of NPR and PBS in maintaining a diverse, fact-based media environment, especially in an election year.
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