Corporation for Public Broadcasting shutting down following defunding from Congress
The Corporation for Public Broadcating, which distributes funds to PBS and NPR, is shutting down. PatrickRich via Flickr.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced on Aug. 1 that it will begin to “wind down” its operations, following the passage of a $9 billion rescissions package.
The package cuts $1.1 billion from CPB, which provides funding to Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), National Public Radio (NPR) and their member stations. The package also rescinds approximately $7 billion in foreign aid.
The cut comes after months of President Donald Trump discussing the defunding of public media in the U.S.
“I instruct the CPB Board of Directors (CPB Board) and all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS,” Trump said in an executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” released on May 1.
The majority of staff positions will conclude on Sept. 30, 2025, and a small transitional team will remain until January 2026.
“This team will focus on compliance, final distributions, and resolution of long-term financial obligations,” CPB said in a press release.
Amidst the shutdown of CPB, the White House and Department of Education recently partnered with PragerU to produce “The Road to Liberty,” a series of videos created in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
PragerU, a nonprofit media organization, has received criticism for its conservative viewpoints on U.S. history.
“Our mission is to promote American values through the creative use of digital media, technology and edu-tainment,” PragerU’s website reads.
In spite of actions taken by the Trump Administration, a recent Harris Poll found that most Americans (66%) support federal funding for public radio, and the same proportion also agrees that public radio is a good value for taxpayer dollars.
“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,” said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison in a statement.
“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,” said Harrison. “We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.”