The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting down after President Trump successfully rescinded funding for public broadcasting.
The CPB, which was established by Congress in 1967, said Friday that it was beginning “an orderly wind-down of its operations.”
“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.”
The funding was eliminated when the Republican-controlled Congress clawed back all of its approved spending on CPB.
Mr. Trump and Republicans have long objected to taxpayer support of public broadcasting that for years has produced liberal-biased news programs.
CPB also helped support the operations of over 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations, as well as National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service programming that included some of the nation’s most recognizable shows like “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
“Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country,” Ms. Harrison said. “We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.”
CPB said it informed its employees that the majority of staff positions will end at the end of September. Only a small transition team will stay on until January to “ensure a responsible and orderly closeout of operations.”
A party-line vote last month approved the cuts to public broadcasting as part of Mr. Trump’s rescissions package.
NPR and PBS were funded by a $535 million appropriation by Congress through CPB. The outlets and their respective local stations also receive donations.
After the rescissions package was passed last month, Mr. Trump celebrated.
“House approves nine billion dollar cuts package, including atrocious NPR and Public Broadcasting where billions of dollars a year were wasted,” he wrote in a social media post in all caps. “Republicans have tried doing this for 40 years, and failed…but no more. This is big!!!”
NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher said her organization would press on.
“We will continue to respond to this crisis by stepping up to support locally owned, nonprofit public radio stations and local journalism across the country, working to maintain public media’s promise of universal service, and upholding the highest standards for independent journalism and cultural programming in service of our nation,” she said in a statement.
After the rescissions package was passed, PBS said the cuts to CPB “will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas. 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 Washington Times has reached out to PBS for an updated comment.