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Tag: Corporation for Public Broadcasting

  • Rocky Mountain PBS reacts to Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s vote to dissolve

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    The letter of the day is “D,” for dissolved.

    The agency that helped bring us Sesame Street and Mister Rogers, is no more. The leaders of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) have voted to dissolve the organization.

    Created in 1967, CPB was a private agency that steered federal funding to PBS, NPR and hundreds of public television and radio stations across the country, including more than 50 in Colorado.

    In May, President Donald Trump gave final approval to strip CPB of all its funding. CPB had been winding down since then. Its board of directors chose Monday to shutter CPB completely instead of keeping it in existence as a shell.

    “CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks,” said Patricia Harrison, the organization’s president and CEO.

    Many Republicans have long accused public broadcasting, particularly its news programming, of being biased toward liberals but it wasn’t until the second Trump administration — with full GOP control of Congress — that those criticisms were turned into action.

    Politics

    Colorado TV, radio stations weigh in on public broadcasting funding cuts

    Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden reached out to Rocky Mountain PBS, the largest public broadcasting operation in Colorado, to get their reaction of the vote by CPB to dissolve. RMPBS leadership was not available for an interview. However, the company’s president and CEO, Amanda Mountain, sent Ogden a statement:

    “After 58 years serving all Americans with integrity, foresight and care, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will shut down. Even my deepest thanks feel inadequate, but I am sending them nonetheless alongside my sincerest hope for a brighter future for all who rely upon public media for community connection, trusted companionship and critical resources that improve and save lives. The task ahead is to steward decades of impact and service for future generations, regardless of whatever challenges exist and arise. Godspeed to us all! Failure is not an option.”

    Rocky Mountain PBS receives roughly 10% of its annual funding from the federal government. In an additional statement to Ogden regarding its finances, RMPBS said this:

    “In the past, federal dollars would have flowed to Rocky Mountain Public Media through an annual grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that underpins our statewide broadcasting infrastructure supporting the emergency alert system, children’s educational programming and outreach, and community journalism. Those grants accounted for about 10% of our annual operating budget, or roughly $3 million each year. The remaining 90% of our funding came from members, foundations, business sponsorships, and other earned revenue.”

    About two-thirds of CPB’s annual $1.1billion in funding goes to about 1,500 locally operated public TV and radio stations. NPR radio stations rely on federal dollars for about 15% of their budgets.

    Denver7

    Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Shannon Ogden

    Denver7 evening anchor Shannon Ogden reports on issues impacting all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in covering local government and politics. If you’d like to get in touch with Shannon, fill out the form below to send him an email.

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    Shannon Ogden

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  • Court settlement calls for NPR to get $36M in government funds to operate US public radio system

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — National Public Radio will receive approximately $36 million in grant money to operate the nation’s public radio interconnection system under the terms of a court settlement with the federal government’s steward of funding for public broadcasting stations.

    The settlement, announced late Monday, partially resolves a legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump to cut off its funding.

    On March 25, Trump said at a news conference that he would “love to” defund NPR and PBS because he believes they are biased in favor of Democrats.

    NPR accused the CPB of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress. NPR also claims Trump, a Republican, wants to punish it for the content of its journalism.

    On April 2, the CPB’s board initially approved a three-year, roughly $36 million extension of a grant for NPR to operate the “interconnection” satellite system for public radio. NPR has been operating and managing the Public Radio Satellite System since 1985.

    Howard Stern speaks at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cleveland, on April 14, 2018. (Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP, File)

    But corporation officials reversed course and announced that the federal funds would go to a entity called Public Media Infrastructure. NPR claimed the CPB was under mounting pressure from the Trump administration when the agency redirected the money to PMI, a media coalition that didn’t exist and wasn’t statutorily authorized to receive the funds.

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    CPB attorneys denied that the agency retaliated against NPR to appease Trump. They had argued that NPR’s claims are factually and legally meritless.

    On May 1, Trump issued an executive order that called for federal agencies to stop funding for NPR and PBS. The settlement doesn’t end a lawsuit in which NPR seeks to block any implementation or enforcement of Trump’s executive order. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss is scheduled to preside over another hearing for the case on Dec. 4.

    The settlement says NPR and CPB agree that the executive order is unconstitutional and that CPB won’t enforce it unless a court orders it to do so.

    NPR, meanwhile, agreed to drop its request for a court order blocking CPB from disbursing funds to PMI under a separate grant agreement.

    Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and CEO, said the settlement is “a victory for editorial independence and a step toward upholding the First Amendment rights of NPR and the public media system.”

    Patricia Harrison, the corporation’s CEO, said CPB is pleased that the litigation is over “and that our investment in the future through PMI marks an exciting new era for public media.”

    On Aug. 1, CPB announced it would take steps toward closing itself down after being defunded by Congress.

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  • Patricia Harrison Accepts Governors Award For Corporation for Public Broadcasting: “Do American People Feel Public Media Is A Value To Them?”

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    Corporation for Public Broadcasting President and CEO Patricia Harrison received a standing ovation Sunday before accepting the 2025 Governors Award at Sunday’s Creative Arts Emmys.

    The honor comes as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting down its operations after the loss of federal funding. It marks the end of almost six decades as the entity that distributed grants to public media, PBS and NPR.

    The CPB has noted that the majority of its funding, about 70%, goes to local stations, not the national outlets. Advocates also have pointed to polling showing high levels of public trust in public media.

    “Public media is so different in this country, unlike the BBC or other systems in different countries,” Harrison told reporters after receiving the honor. “Stations raise, on an average, six times more than the federal investment. The small stations, the remote stations, that amount of money that they get from the federal government is all the difference in the world to them so they can connect with their audiences. When you eliminate CPB and that funding mechanism, it’s sort of like Jenga. You pull that little piece of wood out, things start shaking, and then things start going apart.”

    “It doesn’t have to be that way, because general managers of these stations, these local stations, are very entrepreneurial,” continued Harrison, who is the longest-serving president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “They raise money. The stations are contributing a lot of money, but they’re not going to be able to sustain it. So the question is, do the American people feel that public media is a value to them or their families, and if so, are they communicating that to people who make those decisions?”

    Dr Henry Louis Gates introduced the Governors Award, which honors an individual, company or organization that has made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television. Established in 1967 by the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress to serve as the steward of the federal investment in public broadcasting and support more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public radio and television stations across the United States.

    “The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was created for the federal government to wield the power of television for the enrichment of all Americans, regardless of income, locale, race color or creed,” Gates said. “This is not the final throes. Even an act of Congress cannot erase the indelible legacy of the charter of CPB.”

    He also mentioned how Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was the embodiment of CPB. “Where have you gone when we needed you the most?”

    The CPB informed employees in August that the majority of staff positions will end on Sept. 30, with a small transition team in place through January, 2026. The CPB has around 100 employees.

    The GOP rescinded $1.1 billion in federal funding that was already allocated to the CPB for the next two fiscal years. President Donald Trump had called on lawmakers to roll back funding for CPB, calling the programming of PBS and NPR biased, part of his broader attacks on traditional media.

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    Lynette Rice

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  • PBS cuts nearly 100 employees after loss of federal funding

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    Public broadcasting cuts and rural areas



    Public broadcasting funding cuts could lead to news blackouts in rural areas

    03:03

    PBS has eliminated nearly 100 jobs in recent months due to recent cuts in federal funding, according to the public media company. 

    The layoffs included 34 PBS staff members who were notified Thursday that their employment is ending, a PBS spokesperson told CBS News in an email. 

    “In this unprecedented moment, we remain focused on what matters most: ensuring our member stations can deliver quality content and services to communities across America,” the spokesperson added.

    The workforce reduction comes after Congress in July voted to eliminate $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, leaving PBS’ roughly 350 stations in a state of uncertainty. No stations have shut down so far, but many have appealed for public funding to help them stay afloat. 

    In another sign of its financial struggles, PBS announced last month that it slashed its budget by 21%. Board members also voted to reduce dues paid by local stations by $35 million, a move that will slow the flow of funding PBS receives from its member network.

    New Jersey’s public television network confirmed to CBS News last month that it was planning to cut jobs because of the decrease in state and federal funding. In Spokane, Washington, 12 of PBS affiliate KSPS’ 35 staff members have either been laid off, had their hours reduced or pay cut.

    PBS and NPR radio service have historically received public funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. But CPB, a nonprofit that supports public radio and television stations, in August said it would wind down operations after the federal funding cuts were announced.

    Mary Cunningham

    Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. Before joining the business and finance vertical, she worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.

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  • NPR Launches New Podcast Exploring Lives Of Employees They Just Laid Off

    NPR Launches New Podcast Exploring Lives Of Employees They Just Laid Off

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    NEW YORK—In the wake of a cost-cutting decision to terminate roughly 10% of its workforce, National Public Radio announced Friday that it had launched a new podcast exploring the lives of employees they just laid off. “Although the decision to eliminate roughly 100 employees was not taken lightly, we are so excited to announce our next groundbreaking podcast series, which follows several NPR correspondents, researchers, and audio engineers on their gripping and often heartbreaking journey through unemployment,” said CEO John F. Lansing, adding that the 10-part, hour long series called Down And Out will feature many listeners’ favorite correspondents from podcasts like Invisibilia, Louder Than A Riot, and Rough Translation struggling to pay rent, go to the doctor, or put food on the table. “While NPR did provide employees with severance, that will eventually run out, and that’s where the podcast truly begins. Will our former employees ever be able to get another job? Will they have to move home with their parents? Might they even leave the media industry entirely? Tune in for our first episode—featuring a surprise guest who lost his job after 40 years of working at NPR—to find out!” At press time, Lansing announced that the entire Down And Out production team had been let go.

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