Public Broadcasting Corporation to Cease Operations Following Congress Defunding and Trump's Targeting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a cornerstone of American culture for three generations, announced its closure by early 2026. This decision follows Congress's elimination of its federal funding in 2025, marking the end of over 50 years of support for public media, including NPR and PBS.
The defunding of the CPB stems from a series of actions, beginning with a May 2025 executive order by President Donald Trump to halt federal funding for public broadcasting. This order was subsequently codified by Congress through the Rescissions Act of 2025, clawing back $1.1 billion in previously allocated funds for the CPB.
The impact of this decision is expected to be severe, particularly on smaller, rural public radio and TV stations that heavily depend on CPB funds for survival. The closure threatens community access to educational, cultural, and emergency information programming nationwide.
Created under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, the CPB is a private nonprofit that distributes federal appropriations to public radio and television stations such as NPR and PBS. The CPB has deep ties to much of the nation's most familiar programming, including NPR's "All Things Considered," "Sesame Street," "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," and the documentaries of Ken Burns.
In the wake of the funding cut, CPB's president and CEO, Patricia Harrison, said in a statement that the decision came after the funding was eliminated. Most of CPB's roughly 100 employees will be laid off by the end of fiscal 2025, with a small team remaining temporarily to close out financial and legal matters.
The closure of the CPB is expected to have a profound impact on public radio and TV stations, especially in small communities across the United States. While nationally produced programs like PBS NewsHour or NPR’s Morning Edition may not end immediately, local stations face existential threats, risking the loss of trusted educational content, emergency alerts, and culturally significant programming that reaches even remote communities.
Financial losses to local public media are substantial. For example, New York public media alone anticipates losing at least $57 million, with $50 million from stations that rely heavily on federal funds, many of which serve rural areas. The dismantling of CPB’s funding infrastructure disrupts a system that has provided consistent, non-commercial public media access for more than half a century.
Trump, who has called the CPB a "monstrosity," has long argued that public broadcasting displays an extreme liberal bias. His actions have contributed to an anti-public broadcasting groundswell in Congress and around the country. Despite public outcry and millions petitioning Congress, the funding cut was enacted in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2026 budget, marking the first time funding was completely eliminated.
Sources:
[1] Associated Press (2025). Senate panel cuts off funding for public broadcasting. [online] Available at: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-public-broadcasting-us-news-media-2808579e9e7e6113d481d4276a0a0d46
[2] NPR (2025). Corporation for Public Broadcasting To Cease Operations After Losing Federal Funding. [online] Available at: https://www.npr.org/2025/09/01/1259559932/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-to-cease-operations-after-losing-federal-funding
[3] The New York Times (2025). The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Is Being Defunded. Here's What That Means. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/arts/television/cpb-defunded-public-broadcasting.html
[4] The Washington Post (2025). The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is set to cease operations. What that means for local stations. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2025/09/01/corporation-public-broadcasting-cease-operations-what-that-means-local-stations/
[5] The Guardian (2025). Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease operations after losing federal funding. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/01/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-to-cease-operations-after-losing-federal-funding
The defunding of the CPB has significant implications for the business sector, as the closure of public broadcasting stations could lead to financial losses for local communities and advertisers. In politics, this decision has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it threatens the democratic principles of informing the general public. The end of the CPB's operations may also impact the broader news industry, as it has funded diverse and award-winning programming that offers a balance to commercial media outlets.
