CPB to Close After Federal Funding Cuts

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced it will wind down its operations due to successful Republican efforts to defund local PBS and NPR stations across the country. The announcement came after President Donald Trump signed a rescissions bill that clawed back congressionally approved federal funds for public media and foreign aid.

“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 in a statement. “CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.”

Officials at the organization are focused on helping local stations cope with sudden budget shortfalls. Harrison has warned that some stations, particularly in rural areas, will have to shut down without federal support.

Larger stations have multiple funding sources, including viewer and listener donations, which will help soften the blow dealt by Congress. However, public media executives warn that the interconnected system will be weakened in various ways without federal funding as a foundation.

The CPB will eliminate most of its roughly 100 staff positions when the money runs out on September 30. A small transition team will remain through January to guarantee “a responsible and orderly closeout of operations.”

The CPB also filed a voluntary dismissal of its lawsuit against President Trump for his attempts to remove three of five board members from the organization.

The Trump administration's cuts to the CPB were the culmination of the president's months-long effort to defund public broadcasters, which he has alleged are “biased” against conservatives.