PBS and NPR lose 100% of federal funding for first time since 1967

Washington D.C. – In a vote held quietly during the early morning hours, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that will eliminate all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — the first time such funding has been zeroed out since the organization’s founding in 1967. If, as expected, the House passes the bill in the coming days, it will mark the most dramatic rollback of public media funding in American history, one that PBS CEO Paula Kerger warns will have “devastating” consequences for local stations, especially those serving rural communities.

The vote is a long-sought victory for President Trump, who has repeatedly accused PBS and NPR of ideological bias and vowed to cut their funding. “For decades, Republicans have promised to cut NPR, but have never done it, until now,” Trump boasted last month on Truth Social. He made clawing back the already-allocated federal support a priority this year, and the Senate has now followed through.

While many of the bill’s supporters argue that public broadcasting is obsolete in the era of on-demand streaming, critics warn that the vote ignores the real role public media plays across the country — particularly in regions with limited access to high-speed internet or commercial broadcasters. In those places, public radio and television stations remain critical sources of emergency alerts, educational programming, and local reporting.

Kerger noted that the loss of funding would force stations “to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead,” and predicted that smaller outlets — especially those in rural and Indigenous communities — may be unable to survive the cuts. Katherine Maher, CEO of NPR, called the funding loss a direct threat to public safety, citing data showing that nearly three in four Americans rely on their public radio stations for news and alerts.

Public media officials have repeatedly pushed back on characterizations of their programming as partisan. NPR’s Morning Edition addressed the rescission on Thursday with what many described as a careful and neutral segment — a contrast to the rhetoric driving the vote. David Bozell, president of the conservative Media Research Center, celebrated the decision online, claiming that public media had become little more than “drag shows for kids” and “gushing coverage of Democrats.”

While conservative presidents have long proposed defunding PBS and NPR, Congress has historically declined to follow through. That bipartisan reluctance appears to have given way under the current administration. Just months ago, Congress had allocated the next round of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, but the new law rescinds it before it could be disbursed.

Already, major stations are bracing for impact. KQED in San Francisco announced it will lay off 15% of its staff, citing the financial uncertainty created by the rescission. WNYC, the flagship NPR station in New York, said its CEO will shift roles to explore alternative funding models.

“These cuts aren’t just about budgets,” Kerger said. “They’re about what kind of country we want to be — and who we’re willing to leave behind.”