CPB Defunding: What it means for America

Image by David Pinkerton via Flickr

You may have felt a chill run down your spine when you learned on August 1st that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will be shutting down after Trump and his allies via the H.R.4 - Rescissions Act of 2025 rescinds CPB’s allocated $1.1 billion in funding, threatening public access to quality radio and TV programming such as PBS and NPR .  Many of us probably browsed online for understanding the breadth and impact of this alarming move backed by supporters such as  Heritage Foundation and many Americans may not know this policy move was in place prior to the 2024 Presidential election, as noted in their Project 2025 agenda. 

Public radio began in the early 1900’s, with local communities funding their own programming. The CPB was founded in 1967 with the express goals of making reliable funding available, especially to rural stations; to provide quality control, including peer review of programming; and to promote educational television for children.

From the CPB website:

“...Stations can choose to become PBS or NPR member stations, but do not have to join either organization. CPB’s role in public media is to shield stations from political influence and deliver federal support in a way that does not affect a station’s ability to operate independently. More than 1,041 local public radio stations and more than 365 local public television stations currently receive support from CPB.

“CPB also provides funding to producers of programming but cannot distribute or broadcast it. Each local public media station maintains sole authority and responsibility for selecting, presenting, and scheduling the programs that it airs...”

We needed a Mr. Rogers!

Stepping back a bit, here are a few historical highlights, to remind us of what we just lost:

In 1969 Fred Rogers famously testified in Congress and thus ensured funding for CPB.  Later that year, CPB established PBS (Public Broadcasting System) to connect local public TV stations and distribute programs.  “Sesame Street” launched that same year, and in 1970 CPB funded “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” so that it could be distributed nationally. The show made  major headlines, good and bad, when it took on racial segregation in a direct fashion. Fred Rogers was an activist in his own right. Early funders of such programming were private entities and non-profits such as Sears Roebuck and the Ford Foundation.

In the 1970’s, CPB developed NPR as a separate entity to produce and distribute content; and among other accomplishments, funded coverage of the Watergate trials; and funded Nova, a ground-breaking series of in-depth science themes broadcast to the American public. Imagine how many viewers pursued a career in science having watched such informative programming?
In 1975, the Congressional Public Broadcasting Financing Act, (known as the H.R.6461 - Public Broadcasting Financing Act of 1975) was passed. It was a limited term appropriations act to provide funding for public broadcasters. It ran from July 1, 1975, through September 30, 1980, obtaining bipartisan support, which served to insulate CPB from political influence.

The current move of defunding the CPB will disrupt non-commercial, educational, and cultural programming, and will likely set a course for the closure of public radio and television stations, particularly in rural and low-income communities. Why does this matter some may ask?  For one, for politicians and right-leaning organizations, the more ignorant a population base the better. Other concerns include limitations to diverse public discourse, and the likelihood of increased polarization due to one-sided bias in commercially produced information. One must also think of the potential loss of valuable news coverage from unknown sources. And during a crisis, these communities will have limited access to emergency alerts and other important information or instructions. This can translate to loss of life and property.

At the same time, the CPB and the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) continued to work to make airwaves accessible to underserved communities.  This included the funding of: National Native News, the National Minority Consortium, the National Center for Accessible Media, Radio Bilingue, AIROS—providing satellite radio to Native American radio networks -, funding for rural internet service, and the list goes on.

CPB has consistently funded programs to foster dialogue and communications across divides, with shows like “Story Corps” and “One Small Step.”  With advances in radio and broadcast technology, CPB funded podcasts and web-based programming.  During the COVID pandemic, it funneled government aid to small, local stations to keep them afloat during that severe economic crisis.  And in all states, public radio continues to provide essential emergency information.

PBS Kids

One major concern for older adults who grew up with PBS and for today’s young families with children, is the potential shutting down of PBS Kids. Will the valuable PBS programming for your little ones and grandbabies continue to have such programming?
We do not know; the speculation is mixed.  Despite the CPB facing shutdown, this does not mean PBS Kids is ceasing operations. The cuts will likely impact the availability of PBS Kids programming on local stations, but the network itself won’t necessarily shut down.

Truth is a repellant for Donald Trump and truth, like a lie, can be contagious. 

So, we can understand why the Trump administration wants to shut down CPB and collapse public broadcasting:  they seek to divide; they hope to foster black-and-white, us- versus-them thinking; they want to impose ignorance; they seek to erase the voices of our BIPOC people.

Can the defunding of the CPB be reversed?

It will be challenging, but not impossible. Since the defunding was due to Congressional action, it will require new legislation to reverse it and a progressive majority in the chambers to move it into place. This can be done through public and political pressure. In an upcoming edition, we will outline ways you, your friends, your families and other organizations you’re aligned with can help. Though an uphill battle, with enough pressure we can do this!! It may take time, but we must be persistent!

In the meantime, discuss the impact of this egregious defunding. It is the least we can do to honor the long-standing commitment of the several generations of workers who impacted our lives in meaningful ways.

Another way you can help PBS stay on the air is by subscribing via your local station. For us in San Francisco, that would be KQED. For $5/month, it’s a good deal for quality shows and broadcasts.