CPB, funder of NPR and PBS, says it will shut down after Congress cuts money

NBC News

2 days ago

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced on Friday that it will begin shutting down its operations weeks after Congress canceling previously approved funding for the nation's steward of public media access.
The CPB said in a statement that it will begin an "orderly wind-down" of its operations after being in service for nearly 60 years with the support of the federal government.
It said that the majority of its staff positions will conclude with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025. A small team of employees will remain on through January 2026, it added. It did not specify how many people in total were being laid off.
"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. "CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care."
The announcement comes less than a month after Congress passed a package of spending cuts requested by President Donald Trump, which included stripping $1.1 billion in funding for the CPB.
Currently, the CPB helps support more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations.
Despite objections from some Republican lawmakers, whose districts include rural areas of the country that rely on the local outlets, the Trump administration has maintained that the organization should be stripped of funding.
The administration has repeatedly accused the NPR and PBS of liberal bias, which the organizations have repeatedly denied.
"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. "We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people."
Despite the cuts to the CPB, some of the most revered national PBS and NPR programs are expected to remain on the air through other sources of funding.
Shortly after Congress passed the cuts, PBS News posted a statement on X, saying the program "is not going anywhere."
"We will continue our work without fear or favor, as we have for nearly five decades on the air," it said. "We are profoundly grateful to Viewers Like You for your loyalty and unwavering support."