❓WHAT HAPPENED: The congressionally funded nonprofit Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)—which provides financial support for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR)—announced it will cease operations by January 2026 after being defunded by the Trump administration and Congress.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), National Public Radio (NPR), CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison, Congress, and the Trump White House.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on August 1, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “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
🎯IMPACT: Most CPB staff positions will be eliminated by September 30, 2025, with a small number of employees remaining in place through January 2026 to “closeout” its operations.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private but congressionally funded nonprofit that financially supports the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), announced it has begun the process of ending its operations as a result of the Trump White House’s rescissions request adopted by Congress in July. The rescissions package clawed back much of the CPB’s government funding, with future financial backing being dropped entirely in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations legislation.
“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. She continued: “CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.”
“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. We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people,” Harrison added.
According to the CPB, it has informed most of its staff that their positions will be eliminated by September 30, 2025, the conclusion of the fiscal year. However, the taxpayer-funded nonprofit says a small number of employees will remain in place through January 2026 to “closeout” its operations.
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