As you may know, last week, President Trump issued an executive order seeking cessation of federal funding for PBS and NPR. I've spent much of my time since the signing of the EO collecting all available information about the nature and the implications of this concerning development. Here's the executive summary:
· President Trump instructed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease federal funding of PBS and NPR, to the extent allowed by law. The full impact of the EO is unclear at this juncture. Click here to read the order in its entirety.
· CPB is a private entity created by an act of Congress, that is funded by taxpayer dollars. My counterpart at CPB, Patricia Harrison has issued the following statement:
President Trump issued an Executive Order instructing the CPB Board of Directors to (1) cease direct Federal Funding for NPR and PBS; (2) decline to provide future funding; and (3) cease indirect funding to NPR and PBS, including by ensuring that licensees and permittees of public radio and television stations, as well as any other recipients of CPB funds, do not use Federal funds for NPR and PBS.
While this is concerning, we believe it has no effect on CPB, since CPB is not a federal agency subject to the President’s authority. Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.
Accordingly, CPB will not be adding any additional conditions or restrictions on our Community Service Grants. Payments will continue to go to our grantees per their grant agreements.
The Community Service Grants to which Ms. Harrison referred, totals approximately $525 Million that is dispersed among hundreds of broadcast stations in two-year cycles and WBGO is on track to receive approximately $400,000 of CSG grants per year, for 2025 and 2026.
CPB is also suing President Trump to prevent his firing of 3 Board members, including Tom Rothman, the chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group.
Read the full story here.
· NPR and PBS has pledged to vigorously contest any attempt to block federal funding. NPR CEO Katherine Maher issued a statement in response to the EO:
“This is not about balancing the federal budget. The appropriation for public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS, represents less than 0.0001% of the federal budget. Although federal funding is an essential aspect of public media, significant financial support comes from listeners, underwriters, and philanthropic grants…”
Read the entire statement here.
· PBS CEO Paula Kerger recently appeared with Ms. Maher on CBS’s “Face The Nation” , read the transcript and see the video, here.
· Multiple sources report that the White House plans to send a rescissions package to Capitol Hill — a proposal that would rescind $1.1 billion in already-approved public media funding, posing an unprecedented and immediate threat to the future of local public radio and television stations nationwide. House leaders are reportedly preparing to bring the package to a vote as soon as this week.
· NPR is holding weekly video meetings to assess the conditions and prepare a response, and a gathering of nearly 200 representatives from over 125 stations will take place at NPR HQ in Washington DC on May 13-15. There will be strategy sessions and key visits with members of Congress during that time. I will be there representing BGO in scheduled meetings with Senator Cory Booker and Representative LaMonica McIver. We are also working with our lobbyists to arrange for face time with other members of the NJ Congressional delegation.
· WBGO is an active participant in the Protect My Public Media (PMPM) initiative, an action network dedicated to protecting local public television and radio stations and the programming and services they provide. PMPM, in collaboration with local stations and partners, directs audiences to take action to protect the federal investment in public media. I urge you to visit the PMPM website for access to communication and support resources.
Pursuant to our CPB funded, regional collaboration with New York Public Radio, WFUV, and WSHU, BGO is participating in the mobilization of resources among our stations to offset the effects of expected funding losses. To that end, I joined LaFontaine Oliver, President and CEO New York Public Radio, Brad Dancer General Manager, WSHU Fairfield CT, and Chuck Singleton General Manager of WFUV in the crafting of a letter that we recently sent to the New York Times Editorial Board: Re: “White House to Ask Congress to Claw Back Funding From NPR and PBS,” (news article, nytimes.com, April 14):
As leaders of NPR member stations in metropolitan New York, we urge majority leaders Mike Johnson and John Thune, minority leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, and members of Congress in our region to work together to oppose the rescission of federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and preserve federal support for the public media system.
We are a collaborative working to expand awareness of our public service, to grow financial support and sustain our stations. We are a vital part of the region’s music ecosystem collectively serving one million listeners in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Our stations are locally owned and operated, serving our communities with free, noncommercial music programming of jazz, classical and contemporary music otherwise unavailable on the dial. We support and inspire emerging artists from all communities, and spotlight historic artists and composers. We engage with cultural venues, schools, and community organizations.
The administration’s plans to rescind $1.1 billion in federal funding would have a grave impact on our organizations. We also rely on music licensing that CPB negotiates with collective rights organizations. Without this support our programming will be immediately and indelibly affected, threatening the viability and livelihood of those musicians, venues and audiences who rely on our stations.
Many noncommercial stations will not survive. Congress has the power to prevent dead air.
Bottom line: BGO has been preparing for this circumstance for more than a year, which adds clarity and justification for our recent focus on operational efficiencies that are necessitated by fiscal uncertainty. We are also implementing strategies to supplement or replace present funding sources that may fall victim to changes in policy structure. We're ready to weather the storm and press on.
Your questions, comments, engagement and most importantly financial support is welcome and needed. The next WBGO Fund Drive begins soon – June 6 – and it couldn’t happen at a more critical time – now more than ever, WBGO and all of Public Media needs the support of all of its followers to ensure our future survival.
I will continue to issue external communication via our website and social media platforms thereby solidifying our commitment to keeping BGO and Public Media alive and prosperous - forever!
Onward and upward!
Steven A. Williams
