Trump Budget Cuts Force Shutdown of U.S. Public Broadcasting Corporation
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit that funnels federal funding to local public radio and television stations across the United States, has announced it will shut down following the rescission of its federal funding.
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.
The statement went on to say in part, 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.
This development follows the passage of a sweeping budget bill backed by President Donald Trump and signed into law on July 4. The legislation includes a broad array of administration priorities—such as permanent tax cuts, increased defense spending, significant boosts to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and cuts to social programs like Medicaid. Tucked into the massive bill was the rescission of $1.1 billion in previously approved funding for the CPB, a move that proved fatal to the organization.
Founded in 1967, the CPB has long served as a key pillar of public media in the United States, supporting educational programming, cultural storytelling, and community journalism, particularly in underserved rural areas. Its defunding signals a major shift in U.S. public media policy—and a potential silencing of local voices that rely on non-commercial platforms for news, education, and the arts.
In a statement released after the shutdown announcement, CPB President Patricia Harrison said,
“This is a devastating blow not only to public broadcasting but to the millions of Americans—particularly in rural and low-income communities—who depend on us for free, fact-based, and educational content. This decision dismantles decades of bipartisan support for media access and education.”
CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
CPB is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting and the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services.
CPB’s mission is to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services. It does so by distributing more than 70% of its funding to more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations.
CPB by the numbers:
- 386 radio grantees, representing 1,216 public radio stations
- 158 television grantees, representing 365 public TV stations
- 245 of the total 544 radio and TV grantees are considered rural
- 99% of Americans have access to public media
- More than 70% of CPB’s federal funding goes directly to local public media stations
- Less than 5% of funding is spent on CPB operations
CPB does not produce programming and does not own, operate or control any public broadcasting stations. Additionally, CPB, PBS, and NPR are independent of each other and of local public television and radio stations.
CPB strives to support programs and services that inform, educate, and enrich the public. The Public Broadcasting Act Requires CPB to fund the development of content that addresses the needs of underserved audiences, especially children and minorities. CPB also funds multiple digital platforms used by thousands of public media producers and production companies throughout the country.
In addition, CPB funds infrastructure that delivers public media content and emergency alerts to local stations, which are then responsible for delivering content to their audiences and public safety partners.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a private, non-profit corporation funded by the American people. CPB was first authorized by Congress through the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
As the steward of federal appropriations for public media, CPB invests taxpayers’ dollars in a strong public media system. By statute, more than 70% of CPB funding goes to locally operated and controlled public radio and television stations, supporting more than 1,500 stations nationwide.
This funding includes support for educational media and resources for learners of all ages through programs such as Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, as well as for filmmakers and producers like Ken Burns, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, and emerging creators across the country.
CPB supports trusted local, regional, national, and international news and information. Its funding also enables essential central infrastructure for the nation’s emergency alert systems. By design, public media funding comes from many sources, but CPB is the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related services. CPB funding provides the “public” part of the public-private partnership that defines public media in America.
Critics argue that this move is part of a broader ideological war by the Trump administration against institutions perceived as liberal or critical of the government. They warn that the erosion of public media infrastructure opens the door to greater corporate dominance over information and reduced media literacy among the public.
Trump and his allies, however, claim the funding cuts are about “efficiency and prioritization,” framing public broadcasting as a non-essential expense in a time of fiscal reform and national security focus.
The impact is expected to be felt immediately by hundreds of local NPR and PBS affiliates, many of which rely heavily on CPB support to keep their operations running. Layoffs and station closures are anticipated in the coming months, along with the cancellation of numerous beloved programs, particularly those geared toward children, educational initiatives, and rural news coverage.
As public broadcasting in the U.S. faces its most serious threat in modern history, questions arise about the future of free access to trusted, non-commercial information—and whether communities will rise to fill the void left behind.
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