NPR & PBS Closing down?

The nonprofit institution that provided significant funding for PBS and NPR is disbanding after nearly 60 years in operation.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting — created by Congress in 1967 — has been dissolved because of federal budget cuts pushed by the Trump administration, the CPB announced in a Jan. 5 news release.

"What has happened to public media is devastating,” said Ruby Calvert, chair of CPB’s Board of Directors, in the release. "After nearly six decades of innovative, educational public television and radio service, Congress eliminated all funding for CPB, leaving the Board with no way to continue the organization or support the public media system that depends on it. Yet, even in this moment, I am convinced that public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media’s role in our country because it is critical to our children's education, our history, culture and democracy to do so."

Ruby says that what happened to public media is devastating. He is right, it is devastating that two geat
public funded organizations became an arm of the DNC.

We cannot publicly fund partisan media.

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ElwoodBlues · M

@DogMan says

but the CPB was funding the majority of NPR and PBS

NOPE!! Not even close!!!

... stations relied on federal funding (again, from any federal source, not just CPB) for an average of 16% of their total revenue in FY23. Public television stations had the highest average reliance at 18%, while public radio stations had an average reliance of 14%. NPR and PBS stations relied on federal funding for an average of 13% and 18%, respectively.

https://current.org/2025/04/heres-how-much-public-media-relies-on-federal-funding-and-what-could-happen-next/

@FreeSpirit1

DogMan · 61-69, M

@ElwoodBlues OK, Great! So they should continue to be on the air, right?

ElwoodBlues · M

@DogMan Actually, neither NPR nor PBS is directly "on the air." Instead, member stations choose to pay for feeds from them like "All Things Considered" and "Sesame St." To add to the funding complexity, NPR only received about 1% of its funding from CPB, however 30% of its funding comes from member station fees, and those member stations on average got about 15% of their funding from CPB.

To address your question, I would oppose any effort to prevent member stations from paying for shows from NPR and PBS.

As far as "bias" is concerned, I can cite for you a number of studies showing that NPR listeners are the best informed about current events. To me that indicates NPR has the least bias.