NPR Files Lawsuit Over $58M CPB Grant Amid Federal Funding Loss

As of October 1, 2025, public media organizations such as NPR and PBS have entered their first day without federal funding in over 50 years following President Donald Trump's signing of a bill that canceled about $1.1 billion previously approved for public broadcasting. This funding cut has forced the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to announce an orderly wind-down of operations, including closing and terminating most staff positions, while NPR appeals to the public for donations to sustain its operations. Amid this funding crisis, NPR has filed a lawsuit against CPB to block a $57.9 million grant awarded to a new nonprofit consortium, Public Media Infrastructure (PMI), which was selected to operate the satellite distribution system that NPR has managed for over 40 years. NPR argues that CPB's decision to redirect funds to PMI, whose members include New York Public Radio and American Public Media, was influenced by political pressure from the White House and violates both the First Amendment and the Public Broadcasting Act. CPB defends the grant as a commitment to innovation and sustainability, especially benefiting rural and community broadcasters, and expresses disappointment over NPR's legal actions, which it says divert scarce resources. This dispute occurs amid broader political efforts to dismantle federal support for public broadcasting, which NPR and PBS are actively challenging in court.