Trump is trying to destroy public media, and that’s very bad
I know the news is constantly overwhelming rn, but one thing I’m not seeing talked abt enough is how Trump has been systematically trying to remove already appropriated money to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for public media. Today he asked Congress to claw back over a billion dollars that was meant to go to public broadcasters for the next two years. That money goes to PBS and NPR, but do you know who REALLY benefits from that money that this is really going to hurt? Your local public radio or tv station.
When NPR and PBS testified in congress a while back, they brought president of Alaska Public Media Ed Ulman with them. Why? Bc Alaska has mostly small-town rural public radio stations. Not only are small-town stations the backbone of their community with important local news that they won’t find anywhere else, they also keep people alive. Here’s an excerpt from a story:
Ulman, of Alaska Public Media, said oftentimes public media is the only option for people who need access to emergency broadcasts, especially in rural areas. "We provide potentially life-saving warnings and alerts that are crucial for Alaskans who face threats ranging from extreme weather to earthquakes, landslides and even volcanoes," he said. “Nationwide, our public television interconnection system supports the PBS Warning, Alert, Response Network, a critical pathway for the distribution of wireless energy emergency alerts to cell phones," Ulman said.
One of those stations is KYUK in Bethel, the first and oldest native-owned station in the US which broadcasts daily in English AND Yup’ik bc many in the region do not speak English. 70% of their funding comes from the CBP.
KYUK is one of the higher figures I’ve seen when looking into CBP impacts at different stations around the US.
Here are some others— KCCU radio is in Lawton, OK, may lose 16.7% of their budget. “At KCCU Radio, we provide critical emergency alerts that can save lives during severe weather events. In 2024 alone, we broadcast over 366 weather alerts, including tornado warnings, flash flood warnings, and child abduction emergency alerts. These alerts are indispensable for community safety.”
KSUT in Ignacio, CO will lose 20% of their budget, according to their website, “KSUT Tribal Radio's service area includes extremely remote areas with limited or no internet or phone service. As such, it is often a lifeline to a primarily Native American listening audience.”
WPSU in central Pennsylvania also stands to lose 20%— they broadcast to over 1.3 million people in a mostly rural part of Pennsylvania. I can go on like this all day. Research your local stations, they probably have a page breaking down cost.
This is a long way to say that by undoing CBP funding, we are harming the most vulnerable communities that depend on public broadcasting the most.
If this is something you care about, now is the best time to act. The House is expected to vote on this in days. Head to https://protectmypublicmedia.org to learn more about how you can help.
Take a stand for the local stations and programs you love.
