The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it would begin an “orderly wind-down of its operations” after President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress voted to rescind its funding.
The CPB has provided funds for NPR, PBS and local TV and radio stations across the country for more than 50 years. Americans watching public broadcasts could long expect to hear a familiar phrase at the end to let them know the programming was “brought to you by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.”
Now, the stations that depend on that funding will have to come up with other sources of revenue, such as grants from private institutions, or else have less programming to offer.
Some stations — particularly those in rural areas — may even be forced to shut down completely.
Trump’s war on CPB stems from his accusation that NPR and PBS are biased in favor of Democrats and leftist ideology.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), chair of the Department of Government Efficiency subcommittee in the House, hauled in NPR and PBS executives to justify their use of federal funds at a hearing back in March. She used her speaking time to echo Trump, accusing the networks of becoming “radical left-wing echo chambers for a narrow audience of mostly wealthy, white, urban liberals and progressives, who generally look down on and judge rural America.”
The CPB receives more than $500 million annually.
“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,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a statement.
Employees were told their work will end on Sept. 30, while a small transition team will stay on until January to “ensure a responsible and orderly closeout of operations.”
“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 in her statement.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.”