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Public broadcasting leaders denounce action, call executive order illegal
By G. A. McNeeley
M. Raftery contributed to this report
May 10, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a nonprofit organization that oversees the National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), is firing back at President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease funding for both of these media outlets, according to ABC News.
NPR and PBS provide a broad range of programming, from independent news reporting to arts coverage and popular children’s programming such as Sesame Street. Locally, federal defunding of public broadcasting would also impact KPBS TV and radio, which reaches audiences countywide.
"Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax-paying citizens," the executive order claims , despite the fact that independent polls and fact-checkers have found NPR and PBS to be among the most trusted and reliable news outlets in the U.S. "The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding," the President's order continues.
The executive order also halts indirect funding to PBS and NPR, prohibiting local public radio and television stations from using taxpayer dollars to support the organizations and federal agencies to terminate any direct or indirect funding to NPR and PBS.
Bias claim disputed by journalism organizations and surveys of news consumers
The Poynter Institute is a nonprofit media institute and newsroom that provides fact-checking, media literacy and journalism ethics training to citizens and journalists. A study by Poynter found NPR listeners to be the most well-informed on current events, based on a survey comparing listeners and viewers of major media outlets.
In addition, polls over the years by the nonpartisan GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media have consistently found PBS to be the “most trusted source of news and national affairs” as well as for educational children’s programming.
CPB calls action illegal
The CPB pointed out that Congress–not the President, controls their funding, according to ABC News.
"CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President's authority," Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the CPB, said in a statement. "Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government."
"Congress expressly forbade 'any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over educational television or radio broadcasting, or over [CPB] or any of its grantees or contractors,’” Harrison added.
Trump’s executive order appears to envision a continuation of federal subsidies for public radio and television stations (except NPR and PBS), according to NPR. However, it’s unclear how that will fit with Trump’s pledge to ask Congress to rescind funds that were already approved for public broadcasting.
Congress allocates federal funding for the CPB, and specifies how it shall be spent, according to NPR. The funding is carried out in two-year cycles, which is a structure designed to help shield public media from political pressure.
What PBS And NPR Have Said
Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO, told ABC News that a loss in federal funding could negatively impact rural communities. Kerger added that their stations are dependent on government funding, and that content from children's programming to emergency alerts could be negatively impacted by cuts.
"They formed PBS as a way that we could bring the dollars together from around the country from all of our stations," Kerger told ABC News. “That would help us create the kids' content that people have loved for many decades and that have really raised generations of children."
Katherine Maher, NPR President and CEO, vowed to fight back in a statement that NPR released.
"We will vigorously defend our right to provide essential news, information and life-saving services to the American public," Maher said in a statement. "The President's order is an affront to the First Amendment rights of NPR and locally owned and operated stations throughout America to produce and air programming that meets the needs of their communities."
Maher added that the executive order jeopardizes the national airing of NPR newscasts and programs.
PBS offers lots of educational content, while NPR offers more news and music. Both provide locally grounded content and reach more than 99% of the population, at no cost. In many communities, these stations also serve as a key component of emergency and disaster response systems.
How The Funding System Works
Federal funding for public media flows through the CPB. Congress allocated $535 million to the CPB for the current fiscal year, and they’ve fully funded it until September 30, 2027, according to NPR.
NPR and PBS are both primarily funded through a combination of public and private funding, according to ABC News. The CPB provides some of that funding, while individuals, foundations, and corporations make private donations.
Maher and Kerger both testified at a House oversight committee in March, where they spoke about their mission to provide nonpartisan news and programming to the American public, without charge.
"I hear, respect and understand your concerns regarding bias and whether public media is relevant in a commercial landscape," Maher said at the hearing. "It is critical for NPR's newsroom to operate with the highest journalistic standards. That means they do their jobs independently, and as CEO I have no editorial role at NPR."
They added that their stations would be vulnerable if federal funding was cut off for public broadcasting.
NPR receives about 1% of its funding directly from the federal government, and a slightly greater amount indirectly. Its 246 member institutions (operating more than 1,000 stations), receive an average of 8% to 10% of their funds from CPB. PBS and its stations receive about 15% of their revenues from CPB's federal funds.
What The Trump Administration Has Said
Trump, posted on Truth Social, “Republicans must defund and totally disassociate themselves from NPR & PBS, the radical left ‘monsters’ that so badly hurt our country!”
During a university commencement address in Alabama, Trump told journalism majors that he’s not sure if he likes the press. He acknowledged a free press is important, even though he’s repeatedly said that American journalists are “enemies of the people,” according to The Guardian.
“We need a brilliant press. They’re like a watch-keeper. They’re very important. And you can go out and take it down a new track. Help save the country. The people of this country, they know the truth when they hear it. That’s why the ratings, the approval numbers of the media, are so low,” Trump said.
Trump's appointee as the nation's chief broadcast regulator, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairperson Brendan Carr, launched an investigation into NPR and PBS, according to NPR. Carr contends that corporate underwriting spots violate laws banning advertisements. Carr also questioned federal funding of the networks, and their non-commercial status.
The networks say they’ve been encouraged repeatedly by the agency (and Congress) to develop private financial support, and have worked with the FCC to ensure that their content falls within FCC guidelines, according to NPR.
Free speech advocate voices alarm
PEN America is an organization devoted to defending free speech and rights of journalists in the U.S.
Tim Richardson, Journalism and Disinformation Program Director at PEN America, calls Trump’s executive order “ another targeted, vindictive overreach of executive authority that aims to silence news outlets that have not toed the line by unquestioningly reporting the president’s preferred narrative. The overreach is sweeping and is a clear effort to intimidate and chill speech.”
In a statement on PEN America’s website, Richard continues, “For nearly 60 years, Congress has recognized the vital role public broadcasting plays, especially in local communities and underserved rural areas, allocating funds specifically to support these efforts.”
He concludes, “At a time when the White House is pressuring news organizations to conform to its political narratives and cutting support globally for independent news outlets, we’re seeing the dangers of an information environment where propaganda replaces journalism. Congress must stand firm in its commitment to defending a free and independent press and recognize the White House’s defunding efforts for what they are: a direct attack on truth, accountability, and democracy.”
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5384790/trump-orders-end-to-federal-funding-for-npr-and-pbs
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/04/npr-pbs-funding-trump-order
https://pen.org/defunding-public-media-will-hit-rural-communities-in-the-us-hardest/
Comments
Truth...
NPR. . . provides a broad range of programming . .not.
Donald Trump...