Movies

The Senate voted to defund NPR and PBS. How will local stations cope?

BBG News

Nationwide public news sources braced themselves for the unfavorable scenario. As early Thursday unfolded, the unfortunate event transpired. (or, as Thursday dawned, the dire situation materialized.)

In a 51-48 decision, the U.S. Senate granted approval to a plan put forth by the Trump Administration aimed at recouping approximately $9 billion in federal funds initially designated for foreign aid and public broadcasting initiatives. This move puts the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, responsible for managing funds allocated to NPR radio stations and PBS TV affiliates, at risk of losing around $1.1 billion that was earmarked for the upcoming two years.

Later on Thursday, it’s anticipated that the House of Representatives will provide their final endorsement for the Trump administration’s petition.

NPR’s response was quick and decisive. Based in Washington D.C., this nonprofit organization operates two significant stations in the Los Angeles region. These are LAist, known also as KPCC-FM (89.3), or KCRW-FM (89.9).

Following the vote, Katherine Maher, NPR’s CEO, issued a statement expressing concerns about potential negative impacts on smaller communities that heavily rely on public broadcasting stations for emergency alerts and news. She emphasized that 75% of Americans rely on their local public radio stations for safety-related information. Maher urged the House of Representatives to not approve the cuts in funding for public media, arguing that such a move would adversely affect these communities and their constituents, potentially even putting lives at stake.

PBS leaders sounded a similar alarm.

In her statement, PBS President Paula Kerger explained that these budget reductions will have a substantial effect on all our stations. However, smaller stations and those catering to large rural areas are likely to experience particularly severe consequences. With the necessity of making difficult choices looming in the near future, many of our stations—which offer access to distinctive local programming and emergency broadcasts—will find themselves in challenging positions.

Public broadcasters PBS and NPR have taken legal action against President Trump and his administration, arguing that his May executive order aiming to reduce funding is an instance of bias against opinions not aligned with the White House, specifically targeting media outlets due to their content. Trump has labeled NPR and PBS as government-funded “left-wing propaganda.” For years, Republicans have advocated for reductions in public broadcasting due to perceived liberal leanings in its programming.

Media outlets in urban areas of Southern California rely less on federal funding compared to those in smaller, rural markets, as these urban areas don’t receive the same level of local donations from wealthy individuals. However, they will experience an immediate effect because the funding that TV and radio stations were expecting from Corporation for Public Broadcasting in October is now at risk of being eliminated.

Connie Leyva, head of KVCR Public Media in San Bernardino, which runs local PBS and NPR stations, mentioned earlier this week that the recent Senate decision could result in a loss of approximately $540,000, equating to around 6% of their annual budget. With these financial challenges, she now faces the difficult task of potentially eliminating five positions from an already slim workforce.

Hollywood Inc.

Previously, PBS President Paula Kerger has encountered political pressure regarding federal funding. However, this time, the focus of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is centered on the nonprofit’s sponsorship practices.

Beyond catering to the Inland Empire, KVCR also manages a service known as First Nations Experience (FNX), which creates content focused on and related to Native Americans and global indigenous cultures. Unfortunately, these unique initiatives are at risk due to budget reductions.

Leyva recently announced the launch of a new application, accessible for free downloads anywhere. This app provides indigenous content. However, the question remains: with limited resources, how can we ensure it stays updated and engaging?

Leyva indicated that KVCR might need to decrease the amount of PBS children’s TV shows available in her community via over-the-air antennas. She quoted a senator saying, “‘You can choose between Disney or Nickelodeon,'” she said. “He doesn’t seem to grasp that these channels must be bought. All our programming is free, and these reductions negatively impact our low-income communities.

Based in Pasadena, LAist was on track to receive approximately 4% of its yearly funds, totaling $1.7 million. Alejandra Santamaria, the president and CEO of LAist, stated that this amount is roughly equivalent to funding for thirteen journalist roles within their local news operation.

“We have to make some tough choices,” Santamaria said.

Santamaria stated that they’ve already contacted potential donors to bridge the anticipated budget gap. She noted, “Since we might never receive federal funding again, it becomes crucial to continuously raise funds to permanently cover this shortfall.

Classical California, a broadcaster that runs radio stations like KUSC-FM (91.5) in Los Angeles and KDFC-FM (90.3) in San Francisco, typically gets approximately $1 million in funding each year from the government. On the other hand, KCRW based in Santa Monica, known for creating influential noncommercial music programs and news content, was anticipating a grant of about $264,000 from the CPB.

Read More

2025-07-17 21:31

Previous post Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel Métiers d’Art Debut Is Headed For NYC
Next post Second banana no more! Donkey Kong escapes from the shadow of Mario once and for all in Nintendo’s stunning new Bananza. And he’s not monkeying around, says PETER HOSKIN