CPB to Close After Trump Defunding, Senate Action

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced it will begin an orderly shutdown after Congress revoked over $1 billion in funding, following President Donald Trump’s signing of both a bill and an executive order targeting public media for alleged political bias. This decision ends nearly six decades of CPB support for educational and cultural programming, including funding for PBS, NPR, and over 1,500 local stations. The loss of federal funds will significantly impact local broadcasters, especially in smaller communities, with stations like RSU-TV and KJZZ losing substantial portions of their budgets and many facing layoffs and halted projects. Public media leaders, including CPB President Patricia Harrison, have rejected claims of systemic bias but acknowledge the coming hardship. For the first time, the Senate’s appropriations bill for 2026 excluded CPB funding, and a small transition team will remain through early 2026 to manage legal and compliance matters. Despite widespread public outcry and efforts to preserve funding, the CPB’s closure appears final, forcing stations to seek new sources of support.