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Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
KUAF calls fundraising successful, but warns of ongoing threat
Northwest Arkansas' local National Public Radio affiliate is facing uncertainty in the wake of federal funding cuts and the impending shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Why it matters: KUAF, the public radio station for NWA, the River Valley, eastern Oklahoma and southwest Missouri, serves many small rural communities and is sometimes the only source of news people consume, general manager Clint Schaff told Axios. Public radio not only encourages civic participation but builds community, "turning strangers into neighbors," Schaff said, noting he personally found community as a KUAF listener when he moved to the region four years ago. The latest: KUAF met its emergency fundraising goal last week to recover the roughly $210,000 in annual federal funding it receives, Schaff told Axios on Friday. Joel and Lynn Carter of Springdale agreed to match $100,000 in donations. Yes, but:"Even with more than $200,000 raised, we've only covered one year of that annual loss," he said in an email. "This week's success might actually harm our fall fundraiser because people will think we're all set. We won't be. So we need to keep pushing for sustainable funding. We will need increased philanthropic support from foundations and other institutions." The big picture: NPR and PBS have said they will continue to operate even though the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting down after Congress' decision to cut nearly $1.1 billion in federal funding. Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, who represents the district encompassing NWA and the River Valley, voted for the legislation that cut funding, along with Arkansas' other three House representatives and two U.S. senators. Zoom out: The full implications of losing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are unknown, as KUAF has relied on the organization for emergency alert infrastructure and music licensing. The station may have to purchase music licensing elsewhere, for example. By the numbers: In addition to federal funding, KUAF received about $1.02 million from membership and underwriting and about $762,000 from individual donors during fiscal year 2024, according to Schaff. But some public radio stations around the country rely much more heavily on federal funding. As much as 96% of an Alaska station's revenue comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to financial disclosures from the organization.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KUAF waiting for answers as potential federal funding cuts loom
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Conversations in Washington, D.C., regarding the importance of public media have put organizations across the nation, such as Fayetteville-based public radio station KUAF, on edge about their future. In June, the House voted on a rescissions package that would cut federal funding to public media, eliminating $1.1 billion previously approved for those across the Nation and is now passed off to the Senate. In Fayetteville, KUAF is one of the many groups waiting for those answers. KUAF general manager Clint Schaff says while $1.1 billion is a small amount on a federal level, to local radio stations, it's a large part of their fiscal budget. KUAF first went on air in 1973, operating as a student radio station through the University of Arkansas. After 51 years, the station now provides a 14-county area reach, including Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding region, serving as the only source of national and international news from NPR on air. The mission of the station is to serve the audience with programs that challenge, entertain and educate, something Ozarks at Large's Kyle Kellams feels strongly about. Construction soon to begin busy stretch of College Avenue in Fayetteville 'I think trying to create a show where you can come together and hear about things in your community and sometimes controversial,' Kellams said. 'Sure, sometimes you'll hear from people that you don't agree with. But I think coming together at one place is still valuable and necessary and important.' Many staff members at KUAF said they are a lean body operating with only an 11-member team, making a potential hit like a rescission a tough cut to take over the past month. Schaff said if the package is passed, it will cut 20% of the station's budget, which will take twice as much to build back up financially. 'Those licenses cost money. We don't have to go out and negotiate them ourselves. It's all done by the [Corporation for Public Broadcasting] when that's gone. Now we have to not only pay for those licenses ourselves, but we have to have the staff power to even figure out how to negotiate those licenses,' Schaff said. 'And then the cost for the public radio system overall will go up a lot, if we're even able to maintain them.' Alongside the rescission conversation, timeline, and PR and PBS were blocked from receiving funding through the corporation for Public broadcasting due to an executive order made by the administration in May. The rescissions debate is on the Senate floor this week, with a formalized package needing to be reached by Friday, July 18. Otherwise, the package will expire, and funding to public media will be fully restored. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
