Corporation for Public Broadcasting shuts down after federal funding cuts
Published in News & Features
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting said Friday it was shutting down, about one week after President Donald Trump signed legislation stripping its funding.
The group, which administers funds for PBS TV affiliates and NPR radio stations, said it would "begin an orderly wind-down of its operations." A majority of staff positions will be cut Sept. 30, when the group's fiscal year ends.
"A small transition team will remain through January 2026 to ensure a responsible and orderly closeout of operations," the nonprofit said in a statement. "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."
Since returning to office, Trump has made a priority of yanking federal funding for public broadcasters as part of a wider campaign against media outlets he dislikes. The president derided PBS and NPR as government-funded "left-wing propaganda." Congress fell into line.
It passed a measure in mid-July that canceled $1.1 billion that previously had been allocated for public broadcasting for two years.
Separately, lawmakers introduced a Senate appropriations bill for 2026 that excludes funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the first time in more than 50 years. Conservatives have long wanted to strip funding from public media because of what they perceive to be liberal bias.
The actions left the group without a steady source of operating money — and little hope that more would be on the way.
"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," Corporation for Public Broadcasting Chief Executive Patricia Harrison said in a statement.
The organization dates back nearly 60 years and has helped nurture such notable programs as "Sesame Street," "PBS NewsHour," "Nova," numerous Ken Burns documentaries and "Antiques Roadshow." Through its partnerships with local stations and producers, the nonprofit made a mission of supporting educational and cultural programming, local journalism and emergency communications.
The move could cripple smaller public stations, including those in rural areas that struggle to mount high-dollar local membership campaigns. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting helps support more than 1,500 local public television and radio stations nationwide.
"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 the statement. "We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people."
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