Latest news with #Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Former NPR CEO admits 'mixing journalism and federal funding' was a 'recipe for disaster'
Former NPR CEO Vivian Schiller was more optimistic about the outlet's future without federal funding on Saturday, adding that she's long felt that mixing journalism and federal funding was a "recipe for disaster." "Those of us that care about local journalism are going to help them," Schiller said on MSNBC's "The Weekend." "The fact is this is done. The money is gone. The rescission has happened. So my perspective now is let's move on." Congress successfully passed a $9 billion "rescissions package" which included approximately $1 billion in spending cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – which funds PBS and NPR – for the remainder of the fiscal year. Though many liberal commentators and journalists have attacked the package as an infringement on the free press, Schiller argued that it could be seen as an opportunity. "Look, in many cases, I have long believed that mixing journalism and federal funding is just a recipe for disaster," Schiller said. "So in many ways, I think this is an opportunity for a reset. I think the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was a very bureaucratic organization that was, still is today, doling out that money, will go away. Let's reset. Let's come up with a new governance structure. Let's get support for those rural stations from the communities, from philanthropies and find other ways to support them." She added, "I tend to look at the bright side of life and say let's just find a better way forward, because there were problems with the former system." Fox News Digital reached out to NPR for comment. Current NPR CEO Katherine Maher warned staff members on Thursday, before the package was officially passed by Congress, that the outlet would expect to see significant change with the loss of funding. "We are going to go through a tremendous amount of change," Maher said, adding that they would "continue pushing" until the end of the process. NPR has come under fire over the last few years by Republicans and conservative critics for pushing what they have argued was liberal bias in its reporting. Maher has repeatedly denied this.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
PBS, NPR to Lose All Federal Funding as Congress Votes to Pass $9.4B Rescissions Bill
The Republican-led House of Representatives voted 216-213 early Friday morning to pass a proposal from President Donald Trump to cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved federal funding — including all $1.1 billion that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund PBS and NPR, expected to receive over the next two years. Two Republicans, Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Michael R. Turner of Ohio, opposed the measure. More from TVLine CBS Cancels Late Show, With Stephen Colbert Signing Off Next Year — Watch His Announcement Jimmy Kimmel Supports Stephen Colbert Amid Late Show Cancellation: 'F–k You CBS and All Your Sheldons' Love Island USA's Cierra Ortega Addresses Season 7 Exit After Racist Posts Resurfaced: 'I Had No Ill Intention' The Senate had approved the proposal early Thursday a.m., in a 51-48 vote. It now awaits President Trump's signature. The approved legislation also rescinds $8 billion in foreign aid spending, including $800 million for a program that provides emergency shelter and sanitation for those who flee their home countries, and $500 million to provide food, water and health care for countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts. TRUMP TARGETS 'BIASED MEDIA' President Trump, in a May 1 executive order titled 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,' cited the CPB's governing statute — that it may not 'contribute to or otherwise support any political party' — before arguing, 'The CPB fails to abide by these principles to the extent it subsidizes NPR and PBS. 'Which viewpoints NPR and PBS promote does not matter. What does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens,' the executive order read. 'I therefore instruct … all executive departments and agencies to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS.' HOW WILL THIS IMPACT PBS? PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, in a statement issued after the Senate vote, said that the rescissions bill — the first of its kind since 1999 — 'goes against the will of the American people, the vast majority of whom trust PBS and believe we provide excellent value to their communities. 'These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas,' Kerger added. 'Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.' The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) traditionally receives an annual congressional appropriation of about $500 million, which it in turn appropriates to some 1,500 public TV and radio stations, as well as to NPR and PBS (to support national programming). Without CPB funds, stations will need to rely on donations from viewers, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants to cover their operating budgets. With the CPB budget due to be zeroed out starting this fall, the expectation is that local stations, which have a harder time time with member donation drives, will be forced off the air. But even larger stations will be faced with layoffs, fewer resources for news reporting, and less money with which to buy educational programming. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, for example, is among the children's shows produced by Fred Rogers Productions, a nonprofit funded in part by the CPB as well as licensing revenue from PBS stations. THIS IS ONLY 'THE BEGINNING' OF RESCISSIONS The $9.4 billion rescissions bill aims to reclaim a fraction of a fraction of federal spending after Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' got pushed through on July 4, even though the Congressional Budget Office projected it will increase future federal deficits by about $3.3 trillion over a decade. House Speaker Mike Johnson, per ABC News, promised that there would be additional rescissions bills coming: 'This isn't the end, it's the beginning.' Best of TVLine 'Missing' Shows, Found! Get the Latest on Ahsoka, Monarch, P-Valley, Sugar, Anansi Boys and 25+ Others Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PBS, NPR And Public Media Set To Lose Federal Funding As Package Of Spending Cuts Clears Congress
PBS, NPR and public stations are facing the loss of $1.1 billion in federal funding, as the House cleared final passage of a package of cuts likely to alter the landscape of public media. The House voted 216 to 213 early Friday for the so-called rescissions package, which was sent to Congress at the request of President Donald Trump. The $9 billion in cuts also include rollbacks in funding to foreign aid and health programs. The package will now go to the White House for Trump's signature. More from Deadline Donald Trump Says He Plans To Sue Rupert Murdoch, And The Wall Street Journal Over Jeffrey Epstein Story - Update Ken Burns Calls Trump's Federal Funding Cuts To Public Broadcasting "So Shortsighted" Peter Bart: With YouTube Soaring, PBS Fading And Film Struggling, Critics As We Know Them Might Be An Endangered Species The move will leave the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity set up by Congress to distribute funds to public media outlets, with zeroed out federal funding for the first time since it was formed in 1967. The rescinded money had already been allocated by Congress for the next two fiscal years, starting on April 1. Public media advocates, PBS producers and personalities, station managers and viewers and listeners have been lobbying congressional representatives in recent weeks to preserve the funding, pointing to the unique mandate of the non-commercial outlets to provide educational, cultural and local programming, among other content. But Trump has targeted PBS and NPR, and their news programming in particular, as biased toward the left. That has long been a common complaint on the right, but the president this time around threatened to withhold support or endorsements from any lawmakers who did not support the package. 'Here's the truth: If this rescissions packages was not put forth and passed by Congress, taxpayer dollars would still be funneled to ideologues at PBS and NPR,' said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC). But Democrats said that funding for public media and foreign aid were being sacrificed after Republicans pushed through the centerpiece of Trump's legislative agenda, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the tax and spending legislation, which passed earlier this month, will add more than $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. Republicans 'blow up the budget for billionaires and then they nickel and dime everyone else to pretend that they care about the debt and deficit,' said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). 'It's nuts.' More to come. Best of Deadline The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About 'Stranger Things' Season 5 So Far
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate Vote Triggers Major Cuts to Media, Health Aid
In a tight 51 to 48 vote, Senate Republicans approved a package cutting nine billion dollars under a new government efficiency initiative. The plan wipes out federal support for public broadcasting and carves billions from foreign aid programs focused on disease control and tribal projects. Only Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats in opposing the measure. Roughly eight billion dollars comes from global health and aid budgets covering malaria, polio and tribal community efforts. The remaining $1.1 billion funds the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which underwrites NPR and PBS stations. Opponents warn that slashing CPB's budget could force rural radio and television outlets off the air and disrupt emergency alerts. Senator Murkowski argued it makes no sense to gut public media without guarantees that disease?fighting work will continue. Senator Rounds said he'll shift climate dollars to keep tribal stations running without interruption. President Trump has signaled he may withdraw support from Republicans who vote to preserve CPB funding. The House is expected to weigh in later this week before sending the bill to the president's desk. Although CPB says it has funding secured through September 2027, these cuts mark a major shift in both domestic media policy and foreign assistance priorities. Local communities and global health partners will be watching how they adapt to leaner budgets. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
