Latest news with #public media
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PBS, NPR And Public Media Set To Lose Federal Funding As Package Of Spending Cuts Clears Congress
UPDATED, with additional comments: 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 How Public Media Lost The Federal Funding Battle, And What Happens Next To Stations, NPR And PBS 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" 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 The rescinded money had already been allocated by Congress for the next two fiscal years, starting on April 1. Katherine Maher, the president and CEO of NPR, said that the funding cuts were 'an unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions, and an act of Congress that disregards the public will.' 'Despite promises from some members of Congress to fix anything the bill breaks, this will be an irreversible loss,' she said. 'If a station doesn't survive this sudden turn by Congress, a vital stitch in our American fabric will be gone for good.' She said that 'with support from listeners and readers in communities around the nation,' they 'will work to rebuild.' 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.' Advocates had hoped to win over enough Republicans to defeat the measure. Only two, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) joined with all Democrats in voting against it. Two other Republicans, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), voted for the rescissions after voting against them when the bill first came before the House last month. After the vote, Trump posted on Truth Social, 'HOUSE APPROVES NINE BILLION DOLLAR CUTS PACKAGE, INCLUDING ATROCIOUS NPR AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHERE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR WERE WASTED. REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED….BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!' 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
5 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
Fox News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
PBS station singles out GOP senators in contentious public broadcasting funding battle
PBS Kansas has irked Republicans with a new advertisement urging viewers to contact GOP senators directly ahead of a critical vote about whether public media should receive federal funding. The Trump administration has targeted federal funding to PBS, along with NPR, and the Senate is set to vote on a "rescissions" package next week that could strip the public media organizations of cash. "Rescissions" refers to legislation that cancels or rescinds previously appropriated funds. PBS Kansas CEO Victor Hogstrom took matters into his own hands with an ad speaking directly to viewers. "By July 18, the U.S. Senate could eliminate funding for PBS Kansas, meaning some favorite programs could disappear. Yes, community support powers seriously good TV, but federal support matters. If you've ever laughed, learned, or felt moved watching PBS Kansas, now is the time to call your U.S. senators to help keep your station, your stories on the air," Hogstrom tells viewers before photos and phone numbers for Kansas Republican Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran appear. Marshall's office believes the ad is proof PBS shouldn't receive federal funding. "For those questioning whether NPR and PBS simply serve as taxpayer-funded mouthpieces for the Democratic Party, look no further. If they've got enough money to run taxpayer-funded ads in Kansas, it makes the decision for us to cut their funding that much easier," a spokesperson for Marshall told Fox News Digital. National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) political director Brendan Jaspers blasted the ad, calling for it to be pulled immediately. "The Progressive Bias Syndicate (PBS) is running issue ads against Senate Republicans using taxpayer dollars - to request MORE taxpayer dollars," Jaspers posted on social media. "It's an egregious effort by PBS to prop up the failed Democrats who fund their propaganda," he continued. "Pull the ads immediately." FCC chairman Brendan Carr said he will probe if the PBS Kansas ad violates any federal laws. "Federal law prohibits noncommercial stations—including PBS ones—from accepting money in exchange for airing political issue ads. I've asked the FCC's enforcement team to determine whether or not that happened here. I would encourage PBS & NPR to focus more on how they managed to lose America's trust. That is their problem, not Congress's work to ensure good stewardship of taxpayer dollars," Carr posted on X. Member stations of public broadcasting outlets like NPR and PBS receive federal funds but are also backed by individual and commercial donations. PBS Kansas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When it comes to sounding the funding alarm, PBS insiders say the organization is simply directing people to a "Protect My Public Media" website and nothing more. The commercial was made independently by the member station in Kansas. "Public media is more at risk now than ever before. Despite overwhelming public opposition, the House passed a rescissions package that would eliminate $1.1 billion in already-approved funding for public media. If enacted, it would strip essential services from communities nationwide — and could force rural stations off the air entirely," the website states. "The Senate will vote on the rescissions package next week, and changes are still possible," the site continues. "Now is the time to urge them to remove the proposal targeting public media from the package." The website also features a "call your lawmakers" button that offers both contact information and talking points. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Republicans who vote against his plans to defund PBS and NPR will no longer receive his support. "It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions [sic] Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together. Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump posted on Truth Social. Both PBS and NPR have been heavily criticized by Republicans for political bias and advancing leftist agendas like gender ideology, such as a PBS movie called "Real Boy," which, according to PBS, follows a transgender-identifying teen as he "navigates adolescence, sobriety, and physical and emotional ramifications of his changing gender identity." NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger testified before the DOGE subcommittee in March about alleged biased content that put their platforms in GOP crosshairs. Kerger insisted that PBS is vital to Americans who rely on it for specific news, ranging from coverage of high school sports and local elections to specialized agricultural stories.
