Public radio and TV largely intact after $500 million federal cut, but future uncertain

Despite a $500 million cut in federal funding for public media, vanishingly few NPR and PBS stations have closed their doors, and many have stayed online after emergency donations and grants. Stations such as KCAW in Sitka, Alaska, which faced a $187,500 shortfall and a potential “doomsday” scenario, saw donations pour in, leaving its general manager, Mariana Robertson, to call the outcome “a huge success story” while saying “the future is unclear.” Experts had warned that the rescission could put dozens of stations at risk — one estimate put 78 public radio stations and 37 TV stations in danger — and President Trump recently said NPR and PBS had “closed up.” Six months after the cuts, however, few stations have shut down.

Many have cobbled together support from donors, philanthropies and government grants, and some have pursued mergers with larger organizations to remain solvent. Emergency efforts included a $30 million effort by Public Media Company through the Public Media Bridge Fund, which its chief executive, Tim Isgitt, said was intended to buy time rather than provide a long-term solution: “We’re not out of the woods at all,” he said.

Local campaigns also helped; KWMR in Point Reyes Station ran a “25 to stay alive” drive that raised roughly $150,000, and fundraising across public media rose by about $300 million with new donors up about 84 percent, according to Michal Heiplik of the Contributor Development Partnership.

Key Topics

Business, Public Media Company, Contributor Development Partnership, Kcaw, Kwmr, Wpsu