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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump is slashing public radio funding. Here's why it will hit rural communities hardest
Every morning, Gwen Johnson, a resident of the small Appalachian community of Jackhorn, Ky., wakes up to the voices and sounds of her favourite public radio station. Johnson, 67, listens to FM over breakfast as she gets ready for work, while driving in her car and throughout the day. "Through the highs and lows of my life, it's always been a real comfort to me — when you can just flip on the radio and maybe get a human voice," said the non-profit professional and former radio programmer. "It's really added a lot of happiness in dark times." Johnson's preferences are mountain community radio station WMMT 88.7 and NPR affiliate WEKU. But now, they're among the stations set to lose crucial financial support as the administration of President Donald Trump rescinds congressional funding to public media. Trump argues the cuts will save the U.S. government billions of dollars a year in wasteful spending. The rollback, however, will have a serious impact on rural communities, where public radio is a disseminator of news and entertainment, and a lifeline during public emergencies and natural disasters, according to residents, media interests and others who spoke to CBC News. Johnson thinks public spending probably needs to be "reined in" in certain areas. "But this is an area that has been very troublesome," she said. "I am greatly concerned." She added she's worried about whether this move infringes on freedom of speech and freedom of the press. "I feel like one of our freedoms, our First Amendment rights, is being upheld with the radio station." 'It's pretty overwhelming' Federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is part of the $9.1 million US worth of cuts outlined in the Rescissions Act, which rescinds congressionally approved funding allocated to public broadcasters and foreign aid. Congress approved the cuts on Friday morning, sending the package to Trump's desk for his final signature. The CPB, a private corporation, disseminates some $1.1 billion to NPR, PBS, and local TV and radio stations across the country every year, with the bulk of its operating budget set aside for direct grants to local public radio stations. Senator Mike Rounds said last week that he had secured a carve-out for more than a dozen Native American radio stations in which they'd receive funding from the Interior Department. But it's unclear if that has been approved or how much it would help. LISTEN | Why the future of U.S. public media is at risk: Already, some community radio stations are looking at different funding models and revenue streams to offset the blow of the cuts. One of them is the aforementioned Kentucky station, WMMT 88.7. Based in the heart of coal country, it has operated for nearly 40 years. Outside Kentucky, its signal stretches into Virginia, West Virginia, parts of East Tennessee and a bit of Southeast Ohio, reaching 18,000 people weekly, according to the station's Nielsen survey data. "It's hard to imagine," said Roger May, director of artistic programs at Appalshop, an independent Appalachian media company. WMMT is its flagship radio station. "I mean, I'm looking at it through the lens of our community radio station, and when I pull back and try to imagine what that's like for all the other stations, it's pretty overwhelming." About a third of the station's funding comes from the CPB, and a clawback on that money would drastically impact its operations over the next two fiscal years, according to May. It currently has one full-time employee and relies on a network of local disc jockeys to run its programming. The station's development team is looking for ways to source the money from elsewhere. It has long received support from within the community — some small businesses, including a bakery that Johnson manages, serve as underwriters for the station. "It isn't a political issue. It's a community service issue, one that everyone is going to be impacted by who relies on community radio stations and public radio in the country," said May. "We're just one example of many in the country of rural spaces that really do rely on something as simple sounding as community radio. It really is a vital key in how we share information." An emergency service When widespread flash flooding hit eastern Kentucky three years ago, WMMT — after being briefly knocked offline — became a vehicle for disseminating public service announcements, news and "a slice of normality" as people recovered from the disaster, said May. When Hurricane Helene made landfall in the U.S. last year, devastating parts of North Carolina, another community radio station shared a constant stream of updates and emergency guidance from the government. "We hear stories upon stories of people telling us, 'OK, well, we got a crank radio or we had a crank radio, and we knew you'd be on,'" said Ele Ellis, CEO and general manager at Blue Ridge Public Radio in Asheville, N.C. Some would crank up the volume and put the radio on a mailbox, and neighbours would gather to listen, as the story goes, while the station reported on water distribution sites — Asheville's water system had shut down. "That's what they had to do to get information that was going to help them live," said Ellis. Blue Ridge covers more than a dozen counties in the western part of the state, reaching about 90,000 listeners on a weekly basis. "We hit every valley and every mountain in this 14-county area. So there are people that wouldn't get any other public radio if they didn't have us," she said. The station stands to lose about six per cent of its budget, or $330,000 a year, because of the cuts. That could lead to job losses or taking down signals in communities where it's more expensive to keep signal towers operating, said Ellis. The U.S. uses an emergency alert system that blares out over the radio's AM and FM channels, overriding other programming to deliver crucial information during a national emergency. But the integrity of that system is at risk without public funding, critics of the Rescissions Act have argued. "If there's a tornado watch, tornado warning, a flood watch, a flood warning, a blizzard, anything Mother Nature could dole out — people can know it's coming," said Ellis. That would change without the funding, and if people don't notice a change right away, they might not understand the role that public radio plays in a community, she added. "But they don't think about what happens in eight months, when one of our towers fails for some fairly fixable reason, that we're going to have to make a decision about whether we want to spend money on that tower." Trump's battle with public media In May, Trump signed a separate executive order calling on the CPB to cease funding to NPR and PBS, though the organization has argued it's not a federal agency subject to Trump's authority. The president has also frequently criticized NPR and PBS for what he characterizes as left-wing bias, framing funding cuts as an end to "taxpayer subsidization of biased media." The leaders of both organizations testified before a House oversight committee in March in response to the allegations of ideological bias. NPR's CEO has argued the cuts would be a risk to public safety, and Rep. Lisa Murkowski — one of two House Republicans to vote against the Rescissions Act — argued that public broadcasting saves lives. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disagreed, saying, "I am not sure how NPR helps the public safety of our country, but I do know that NPR, unfortunately, has become really just a propaganda voice for the left." Public radio plays a vital role in the small communities where these cuts would hit hardest, both on a daily basis and in emergency scenarios, said Laura Lee, a former NPR producer and editorial director of NC Local, a statewide media organization in North Carolina. "We're talking about communities where local news outlets have shuttered, where there's not access to quality, vetted, independent news and information that people need about their school board, about their city council, about the agriculture industry in their communities." While a 2023 Pew research paper showed public radio audiences had been steadily declining in the years prior, it found that a fifth of U.S. adults get local news from the radio. "The word 'news' has even gotten somewhat politicized, but people need information and these outlets are very consciously conduits of that information for people," Lee added, noting many journalists and editors who report on these communities also live in them and understand their needs. "The Trump administration has been vocal in their explicit criticism of the media, and I've watched as local journalists have sort of set that aside and continued about the business of getting the community the information that they need. And so, I'm heartened by that diligence."
CBC
12 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Trump is slashing public radio funding. Here's why it will hit rural communities hardest
Every morning, Gwen Johnson, a resident of the small Appalachian community of Jackhorn, Ky., wakes up to the voices and sounds of her favourite public radio station. Johnson, 67, listens to FM over breakfast as she gets ready for work, while driving in her car and throughout the day. "Through the highs and lows of my life, it's always been a real comfort to me — when you can just flip on the radio and maybe get a human voice," said the non-profit professional and former radio programmer. "It's really added a lot of happiness in dark times." Johnson's preferences are mountain community radio station WMMT 88.7 and NPR affiliate WEKU. But now, they're among the stations set to lose crucial financial support as the administration of President Donald Trump rescinds congressional funding to public media. Trump argues the cuts will save the U.S. government billions of dollars a year in wasteful spending. The rollback, however, will have a serious impact on rural communities, where public radio is a disseminator of news and entertainment, and a lifeline during public emergencies and natural disasters, according to residents, media interests and others who spoke to CBC News. Johnson thinks public spending probably needs to be "reined in" in certain areas. "But this is an area that has been very troublesome," she said. "I am greatly concerned." She added she's worried about whether this move infringes on freedom of speech and freedom of the press. "I feel like one of our freedoms, our First Amendment rights, is being upheld with the radio station." 'It's pretty overwhelming' Federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is part of the $9.1 million US worth of cuts outlined in the Rescissions Act, which rescinds congressionally approved funding allocated to public broadcasters and foreign aid. Congress approved the cuts on Friday morning, sending the package to Trump's desk for his final signature. The CPB, a private corporation, disseminates some $1.1 billion to NPR, PBS, and local TV and radio stations across the country every year, with the bulk of its operating budget set aside for direct grants to local public radio stations. Senator Mike Rounds said last week that he had secured a carve-out for more than a dozen Native American radio stations in which they'd receive funding from the Interior Department. But it's unclear if that has been approved or how much it would help. Already, some community radio stations are looking at different funding models and revenue streams to offset the blow of the cuts. One of them is the aforementioned Kentucky station, WMMT 88.7. Based in the heart of coal country, it has operated for nearly 40 years. Outside Kentucky, its signal stretches into Virginia, West Virginia, parts of East Tennessee and a bit of Southeast Ohio, reaching 18,000 people weekly, according to the station's Nielsen survey data. "It's hard to imagine," said Roger May, director of artistic programs at Appalshop, an independent Appalachian media company. WMMT is its flagship radio station. "I mean, I'm looking at it through the lens of our community radio station, and when I pull back and try to imagine what that's like for all the other stations, it's pretty overwhelming." About a third of the station's funding comes from the CPB, and a clawback on that money would drastically impact its operations over the next two fiscal years, according to May. It currently has one full-time employee and relies on a network of local disc jockeys to run its programming. The station's development team is looking for ways to source the money from elsewhere. It has long received support from within the community — some small businesses, including a bakery that Johnson manages, serve as underwriters for the station. "It isn't a political issue. It's a community service issue, one that everyone is going to be impacted by who relies on community radio stations and public radio in the country," said May. "We're just one example of many in the country of rural spaces that really do rely on something as simple sounding as community radio. It really is a vital key in how we share information." An emergency service When widespread flash flooding hit eastern Kentucky three years ago, WMMT — after being briefly knocked offline — became a vehicle for disseminating public service announcements, news and "a slice of normality" as people recovered from the disaster, said May. When Hurricane Helene made landfall in the U.S. last year, devastating parts of North Carolina, another community radio station shared a constant stream of updates and emergency guidance from the government. "We hear stories upon stories of people telling us, 'OK, well, we got a crank radio or we had a crank radio, and we knew you'd be on,'" said Ele Ellis, CEO and general manager at Blue Ridge Public Radio in Asheville, N.C. Some would crank up the volume and put the radio on a mailbox, and neighbours would gather to listen, as the story goes, while the station reported on water distribution sites — Asheville's water system had shut down. "That's what they had to do to get information that was going to help them live," said Ellis. Blue Ridge covers more than a dozen counties in the western part of the state, reaching about 90,000 listeners on a weekly basis. "We hit every valley and every mountain in this 14-county area. So there are people that wouldn't get any other public radio if they didn't have us," she said. The station stands to lose about six per cent of its budget, or $330,000 a year, because of the cuts. That could lead to job losses or taking down signals in communities where it's more expensive to keep signal towers operating, said Ellis. The U.S. uses an emergency alert system that blares out over the radio's AM and FM channels, overriding other programming to deliver crucial information during a national emergency. But the integrity of that system is at risk without public funding, critics of the Rescissions Act have argued. "If there's a tornado watch, tornado warning, a flood watch, a flood warning, a blizzard, anything Mother Nature could dole out — people can know it's coming," said Ellis. That would change without the funding, and if people don't notice a change right away, they might not understand the role that public radio plays in a community, she added. "But they don't think about what happens in eight months, when one of our towers fails for some fairly fixable reason, that we're going to have to make a decision about whether we want to spend money on that tower." Trump's battle with public media In May, Trump signed a separate executive order calling on the CPB to cease funding to NPR and PBS, though the organization has argued it's not a federal agency subject to Trump's authority. The president has also frequently criticized NPR and PBS for what he characterizes as left-wing bias, framing funding cuts as an end to " taxpayer subsidization of biased media." The leaders of both organizations testified before a House oversight committee in March in response to the allegations of ideological bias. NPR's CEO has argued the cuts would be a risk to public safety, and Rep. Lisa Murkowski — one of two House Republicans to vote against the Rescissions Act — argued that public broadcasting saves lives. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disagreed, saying, "I am not sure how NPR helps the public safety of our country, but I do know that NPR, unfortunately, has become really just a propaganda voice for the left." Public radio plays a vital role in the small communities where these cuts would hit hardest, both on a daily basis and in emergency scenarios, said Laura Lee, a former NPR producer and editorial director of NC Local, a statewide media organization in North Carolina. "We're talking about communities where local news outlets have shuttered, where there's not access to quality, vetted, independent news and information that people need about their school board, about their city council, about the agriculture industry in their communities." While a 2023 Pew research paper showed public radio audiences had been steadily declining in the years prior, it found that a fifth of U.S. adults get local news from the radio. "The word 'news' has even gotten somewhat politicized, but people need information and these outlets are very consciously conduits of that information for people," Lee added, noting many journalists and editors who report on these communities also live in them and understand their needs. "The Trump administration has been vocal in their explicit criticism of the media, and I've watched as local journalists have sort of set that aside and continued about the business of getting the community the information that they need. And so, I'm heartened by that diligence."
Fox News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
ROB SCHNEIDER: Colbert gets crash course in what freedom of speech really means
Respectfully, Steven Colbert has been doing nothing but wafer-thinly disguised Democratic propaganda talking points for the last eight years plus. While I completely support Mr. Colbert's freedom of speech, his utter disdain for half of America and every swing state, greatly diminished his audience potential. I also respect Colbert's direct criticism of his employer, CBS/Paramount and his opinion that they caved to President Trump when they settled their lawsuit against the sitting president. That took guts, I will give him that. But Colbert, like ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel, excluded conservatives completely from his show and limited (prevented) his audience from hearing opposing viewpoints. Colbert fed liberal slop to his liberal-minded Kamala supporters and cared less about challenging them intellectually by actually appealing to their higher nature or engaging in thought-provoking debate. Nah, just keep sh---ing on half the country that is no longer afraid to say women don't have penises and boys shouldn't get to beat up girls in girls' sports. So while I support Mr. Colbert's First Amendment right to free speech, that constitutionally only applies to the government not being able to silence you or seek reprisals. As for CBS/Paramount, they are a private company and they pay the bills… Or used to. So they can fire anyone they want! And Colbert, who earned an estimated $20 million salary, was reportedly losing the company $40 million per year. That's the potential price tag for using your "Free Speech." It is not free from consequence. I, too, have experienced repercussions, both financial and career-wise, for my willingness to express my thoughts and opinions in the public square. For my outspoken support of parents who's children suffered neurological disorders from a mandated drug their pediatrician assured them was completely safe but turned out not to be, I lost work. In 2023, I was fired from a movie because of my opinions on the COVID vaccine and my public statements against people being forced to take it. I'm proud of that. And I was disgusted that Colbert had dancing syringes on his talk show, cajoling his audience into taking the experimental gene therapy while he and Kimmel and even President Biden shamed and belittled the unvaccinated. Kimmel even suggested that those who refused to take the 'vaccine' should be denied treatment in the hospital. While CBS claims the firing of Colbert is purely financial, his show being the most expensive in late night and being consistently walloped in ratings by the superior Gutfeld!, the timing is suspicious. Yes, these pricey late-night relics are on their way out. More people will read this tweet than the number of 18-35-year-old demographic that is the be-all-end-all for TV advertisers, so the writing was on the wall. But pissing off his bosses at the network made their financial decision even easier and apparently speedier. All of us who make our living being paid by the conglomerate behemoths who own and run show business must decide what, how much and when to use and exercise our freedom of speech. I, for one, value my freedom of speech more than making money at the expense of watching my culture and country get sucked into the Woke totalitarian demonizing, shaming and censoring machine that Colbert and Kimmel had no problem going along with and profiting from. Now the time has come when companies like CBS/Paramount, who used to be immediately cowed by the Woke mob of illiberal lunatics, are not so scared anymore. And they shouldn't be. The freak show Woke empire of intolerance and envy in the guise of good manners has fallen from its purity-enforced grace and America's flirtation with repackaged communism is dead. Finally, it may be okay to say on any remaining late-night talk shows that women do not have penises, men don't get pregnant, and children should not be mutilated. I wish Mr. Colbert much success in whatever he does next. Show business is a tough business.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Writers' union urges investigation into Paramount move to cancel Colbert show
The Writers Guild of America has called on New York state officials to launch an investigation into Paramount following its sudden decision to cancel The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, the Writers Guild of America East and the Writers Guild of America West asked the New York state attorney general, Letitia James, to investigate Paramount over 'potential wrongdoing' after the company announced the cancellation of the Late Show on Thursday. The unions pointed to Paramount's decision earlier this month to settle what it condemned as a 'baseless lawsuit' brought against 60 Minutes and CBS News by Donald Trump for $16m. Trump had claimed that CBS News misleadingly edited an interview with Kamala Harris last fall during the presidential campaign. Citing the California state senate's decision in May to launch an inquiry into Paramount's $16m settlement with Trump as precedent, the unions said: 'Given Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show's cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump administration as the company looks for merger approval.' It continued: 'Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramount's decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.' The unions called on James to launch an investigation into Paramount, saying that she is 'no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices'. 'We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the president,' the WGA added. A spokesperson for James's office said the NYAG office is monitoring the situation. The cancellation comes after Colbert – who has long been a critic of Trump on his show – called Paramount's settlement a 'big fat bribe' on air on Monday. 'As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended … I don't know if anything – anything – will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16m would help,' he said. Echoing Colbert's disapproval, Jon Stewart, who works for Comedy Central – which is also owned by Paramount – condemned the deal on air last week, calling it 'shameful'. He added: 'I would assume internally, this is devastating to the people who work in a place that pride themselves on contextual, good journalism?' Following Paramount's announcement, numerous lawmakers have weighed in on the cancellation, casting skepticism at the company. The Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X: 'CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery.' Similarly, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders said: 'CBS's billionaire owners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit while trying to sell the network to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late night host, slams the deal. Days later, he's fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO.' In a statement on Thursday evening, CBS executives said that the decision to cancel the show was 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night', adding that it was 'not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount'. The Guardian has contacted the WGAE for comment.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NJ Supreme Court says Daniel's Law is constitutional, journalists must abide
Daniel's Law, enacted by the state Legislature to protect the home addresses and phone numbers of judicial and law enforcement officials, is "narrowly tailored" to protect those officials and their families from harm and threats, yet also complies with the freedom of speech and press guarantees in the Constitution, the state Supreme Court has ruled. Daniel's Law was enacted after Daniel Anderl, son of federal Judge Esther Salas, was fatally shot at their North Brunswick home in July 2020 by a disgruntled attorney, posing as a deliveryman, who was stalking Salas. The gunman had complied a dossier of information about Salas, including her home address. Daniel's Law allows the individuals covered under the law to prevent the disclosure of their home address and unpublished phone number by filing a request for non-disclosure with the person or business who has the information. The Supreme Court ruling on June 17 was on a case brought by Charles Kratovil, editor of New Brunswick Today, who was working on a story in 2023 that Anthony Caputo, then New Brunswick's police director and board member of the city's Parking Authority, had a voting address in Cape May, suggesting that Caputo lived hours away from New Brunswick. Caputo retired as police director in 2024. "I am pleased that this case may very well have accelerated Anthony Caputo's departure from New Brunswick, because his poor leadership was negatively impacting our police department and parking authority, where he held onto public positions for much longer than he should have," said Kratovil, who was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey Foundation and the law firm of Lowenstein Sandler. More: Phil Murphy, Matt Platkin vow increased security for NJ officials after Minnesota shooting After Kratovil discovered through an Open Public Records Act request that Caputo was registered to vote in Cape May, Kratovil shared the voter registration information, including Caputo's address, with members of the Parking Authority's board on March 22, 2023. At a May 5, 2023 City Council meeting, Kratovil spoke during the public portion, identifying the street but not the house number on Caputo's voter profile. Ten days later, Kratovil received a letter from Caputo saying that under the provisions of Daniel's Law, he was a "covered person" whose home address and phone number are not subject to disclosure. Caputo requested that Kratovil cease disclosing the information and remove it from the internet. Daniel's Law allows a "covered person" to make that request in writing. The law also allows possible civil or criminal penalties if the request is not honored. According to court papers, Kratovil said the notice gave him "reasonable grounds to fear that he would be a target for an enforcement action that would seek to criminalize his investigative journalism." However, no civil action has been filed against Kratovil, nor has any criminal proceeding been instituted, court papers say. Kratovil then filed a show cause order in Middlesex County Superior Court, arguing that provisions of Daniel's Law are unconstitutional because they infringe on the freedom of speech and press. He also asked for an injunction barring any civil or criminal penalties against him. Judge Joseph Rea on Sept. 21, 2023 denied the show cause order, ruling that while Kratovil had lawfully obtained Caputo's home address, the exact street address was "logically immaterial" to the public question whether Caputo resided in Cape May. Rea ruled that protection of public officials was "a state interest of the highest order" and said Daniel's Law was "as narrowly tailored as possible to achieve its purpose by way of the least restrictive means." Kratovil then appealed Rea's decision to the state Appellate Division which ruled that Caputo's residence in Cape May was a matter of public interest, but his street address was not. The appellate court also ruled that Rea's decision did not have a "chilling effect" on Kratovil's journalism because the court had not told him "what he could or could not publish." More: NJ federal judge whose son was murdered: Attacks on judges worrisome for democracy The state Supreme Court then accepted Kratovil's appeal of the Appellate Division ruling. In its 40-page decision, the justices agreed with the lower court's rulings that Daniel's Law was "narrowly tailored" by "the least restrictive means" and does not apply to all public employees and officials. The law only applies to judges, law enforcement officers, prosecutors and child protective investigators in the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency. The justices found that Daniel's Law was constitutional and did not accept Kratovil's suggestions that the law be changed. "While I am disappointed by the ruling, I will continue to advocate for transparency and work hard to serve the public interest here in the community that I call home," Kratovil said. The justices also found that there is no liability for publishing addresses or phone numbers until that person invokes the protection of Daniel's Law by providing notice. Kratovil said he was "disappointed" in the ruling. "While the New Jersey Supreme Court agreed with us that this was a matter of public concern, they also said that the law was narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government purpose of the highest order, even though it was the government that released the address in question," he said in a statement. "When the government provides information to the media, the U.S. Supreme Court instructs courts to assume that the government should use other tools to guard against the dissemination of that information and not take the extreme step of punishing truthful speech. We are disappointed that the New Jersey Supreme Court did not follow this precedent." The ruling comes days after a man disguised as a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a former speaker of the state House, and her husband Mark, and wounded a state senator and his wife early Saturday. The accused gunman, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, was captured late Sunday night. Email: mdeak@ This article originally appeared on NJ Supreme Court says Daniel's Law is constitutional, press must abide Solve the daily Crossword
