Summary
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to shut down operations.
- Shutdown follows loss of $1.1 billion federal funding by Congress.
- Most CPB staff will be laid off by September 30, 2025.
- The small transition team remains until January 2026 for wind-down.
- CPB funded over 1,500 local public TV and radio stations for nearly 60 years.
Last month, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives approved a $9 billion cut to foreign aid and public media financing.
During the next two years, $1.1 billion designated for the CPB, which disburses funds to news organizations National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service, was eliminated.
"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.
With the exception of a small transition team that will stay until January 2026 to complete closeout of operations, CPB notified its employees that the majority of its workforce will be let go by the end of September.
Established by the U.S. Congress in 1967, the CPB provided more than 1,500 locally controlled public radio and television stations, PBS, and NPR with more than $500 million a year.
Many Republicans, like U.S. President Donald Trump, contend that funding public broadcasting is an unnecessary investment and that its news coverage is biased against the right.
In addition, the Trump administration has sued three CPB board members who have remained on their positions in spite of Trump's attempt to terminate them.
What will happen to the local TV and radio stations relying on CPB grants?
Local TV and radio stations that rely on grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) face severe consequences due to the shutdown of CPB operations following the loss of federal funding.
Many of these stations, especially those in rural areas and tribal communities, depend heavily on CPB grants for a significant portion—sometimes as much as 80%—of their annual budgets. Without CPB support, these stations may be forced to reduce services, merge with others, or shut down entirely, with closures likely beginning by next summer.
These stations are vital for local news, educational programming, emergency alerts, and cultural content. The loss of funding could therefore degrade local media access significantly, especially in underserved areas with limited internet or alternative media.