The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announces shutdown following funding loss
CPB, established by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, is a nonprofit set up to dole out congressionally appropriated funds to NPR, PBS, and public radio and TV stations around the United States. President Donald Trump launched a successful campaign to claw back the $1.1 billion allocated for the organization for the next two years, a measure he signed into law last month.
At the heart of the campaign was a critique that public media produce news that is biased and too liberal and should not be funded by taxpayer dollars. That argument, long held among many conservatives, finally prevailed thanks to unified Republican government during Trump's second term in office.
'Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,' CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a statement. 'CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.'
CPB not only served as a funding middleman between Congress and public media stations but also negotiated music rights and procured technical infrastructure on behalf of the stations. That leaves an open question as to what entity, if any, will fill that gap.
The closure was announced one day after the Senate Appropriations Committee released a bill that would zero out funding for CPB.
In a press release, CPB said it told its employees that most positions would be cut on Sept. 30, the final day of the fiscal year, and a small team will stay on to shut down the agency through January 2026, in part because the music licenses they have negotiated expire at the end of December 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
An unusual six months in Congress of long days and short fuses
Just over six months in, this Congress has witnessed all-nighters, extra-long votes and flaring personalities. 'I will say again - I am tired of making history. I just want (a) normal Congress,' House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said. His comments to reporters in early July came as the House concluded a more than seven-hour vote, then the longest in the chamber's history (a milestone hit after the chamber had already broken the record a week earlier). Of course, the increasingly partisan, combative, and at times, chaotic atmosphere had infiltrated the modern Congress before Johnson or his Senate counterpart, Majority Leader John Thune, took the gavel. But more than six months in, the 119th Congress has seen its share of unusual or unprecedented moments, from extraordinarily long votes to all-nighter sessions. Here's a look at some of the notable moments of the not "normal" kickoff for the 119th. 'All by myself' House lawmakers this year first surpassed the record for the longest House vote while deliberating President Donald Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful bill' on July 2. The vote was held open for seven hours and 23 minutes. Members of Congress filtered in and out of the chamber, mostly congregating off the floor for deals and debates. But someone, by rule, had to supervise the chamber. More: Which way will Senate swing in 2026? Here are 11 pivotal races that will decide. That lucky representative was Arkansas' Steve Womack. Womack, a Republican, had the task of presiding over the floor starting at 11:45 a.m. and staying at the dais well into the evening. 'I'm told he is very very bored,' NBC's Melanie Zanona posted at the time, 'and singing the Eric Carmen song 'ALL BY MYSELF' to himself.' Meanwhile, House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, had his own way of killing time. 'Five,' Cole said, when a reporter asked him, around 5 p.m., how many cigars he had so far that day. 'Is that a lot or a little?' one reporter followed up. 'Certainly not a lot,' Cole replied. Senate burns the midnight oil. A lot. Senators also have plenty of time-consuming accomplishments to boast about, were such efforts to be lauded. The upper chamber kicked off July by barely topping a record set in 2008 for the longest 'vote-a-rama' – Washington parlance for a marathon series of votes on amendments to budget bills. Earlier this summer, Democrats were responsible for the bulk of the 45 proposals to revise Trump's sweeping tax, spending and policy bill. It was one more amendment than what senators almost two decades ago had spent hours voting on. The chamber has had three cases of a 'vote-a-rama' so far this year. Often, they mean overnight sessions that stretch more than a dozen hours. The series in early July was an unusual daylight occurrence, though, beginning a little after 9 a.m. on a Monday and lasting past noon the next day. Long days, short fuses After being elected majority leader by his colleagues, Thune promised more working days for a body of government that many Americans accuse of being allergic to work. That mostly meant adding Fridays to the work calendar (though the chamber has been about 50-50 on coming in those Fridays). More recently, there was talk of scrapping senators' typical summer break and instead staying in town to plow through a backlogged agenda. Some congressional correspondents who'd worked through the session thus far weren't so sure about the idea. More: All work and no play: House heads out while Senate eyes skipping summer break 'The Senate really, really needs a recess,' senior HuffPost Igor Bobic wrote online. But after a Saturday slog Aug. 2, lawmakers finally called it and fled the capital for their home states. The House and Senate are both set to return to town Sept. 2. And with a deadline to keep the government funded looming at the end of the month, a broiling debate over Jeffrey Epstein's case files ongoing, and overall tensions still simmering, Speaker Johnson and the rest of the legislative branch are not likely to see a 'normal Congress' anytime soon.
Politico
11 minutes ago
- Politico
Canada's trade minister confident that countries will come to a deal
Trump imposed heightened tariffs on Canada on Thursday. The levies only apply to goods not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that Trump negotiated in his first term, meaning much of Canada's economy is insulated. Still, Canada's steel and aluminum industries are feeling the heat, with the White House working to revitalize American production capacity. 'We understand and respect totally the President's view in terms of the national security interest,' LeBlanc said. 'In fact, we share it, and what we've said to our American counterparts is, how can we structure the right agreement, where we can both continue to supply one another in a reliable, cost-effective way that preserves jobs essential to the American economy, but the same thing is true, obviously in Canada as well.' Another wrinkle: Trump last week suggested on his social media platform that Carney's pledge to recognize Palestinian statehood could imperil talks, making it 'very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.' But LeBlanc, who left Washington on Friday after spending much of the week in town meeting with senior White House officials, remains positive. He cites the connective tissue underpinning the two countries' economies as a key reason for hope. 'One description which I thought was very apt: we don't sell things to each other as much as we build things together,' he told Brennan. 'And that's why it's difficult in this relationship when so much is integrated, but we remain very optimistic.'
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Trump Lawyer Says Trump Could Set Sights on Musk's Billions: 'It Bothers Him That He Is the Richest Man'
President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen has predicted that Trump might set his sights on the fortune of tech magnate Elon Musk following their recent spat. What Happened: Cohen thinks Trump's jealousy of Musk's position as the wealthiest man in the world could drive him to target Musk's wealth. Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), had earlier contributed $250 million to Trump's 2024 campaign and was chosen to spearhead a cost-reduction initiative under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Earlier speaking with MSNBC, Cohen said, "I said from the very start that this bromance was going to come to an end. I'm going to go one step even further, again, and I'm going to say Trump will ultimately go after Elon's money next because it bothers him that he is the richest man in the world." Cohen, now a prominent critic of Trump, speculates that Trump could utilize DOGE to probe how Musk and his businesses 'exploited the United States of America' and try to 'reclaim' government subsidies given to Tesla. Also Read: Ex-Trump Lawyer Sent This Message To Elon Musk After Feud With Donald Trump Erupted However, White House communications director Steven Cheung dismissed Cohen's forecasts, describing him as a 'deeply disturbed' person spreading 'falsehoods and deception'. Why It Matters: The conjecture by Cohen, if it materializes, could lead to a significant shift in the dynamics between Trump and Musk. The latter's wealth, largely attributed to his leadership at Tesla, has been a subject of public interest. Musk's contribution to Trump's campaign and his role in DOGE further intertwine their professional relationship. Any action by Trump targeting Musk's fortune could potentially impact Tesla's operations and its standing in the market. However, these are mere predictions at this point, and it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds. Read Next Ex-Trump Family Attorney Raises Alarms Over Trump's Actions as President: 'I Have Never Been As Concerned' Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Ex-Trump Lawyer Says Trump Could Set Sights on Musk's Billions: 'It Bothers Him That He Is the Richest Man' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
