• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will shut down after Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in funding under a Trump-backed budget, ending decades of federal support for PBS and NPR affiliates.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will permanently shut down operations following the loss of $1.1 billion in previously approved federal funding, a move cemented by legislation championed by President Donald Trump and signed into law on July 4.

The CPB, which has served as the financial backbone of the public media system for over five decades, will begin laying off most of its workforce by the end of the current fiscal year on September 30. A small transition team will remain until January 2026 to facilitate final funding distributions and oversee the shutdown process.

“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,” said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison in a statement.

“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.”

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The closure comes on the heels of a sweeping spending bill that included Trump administration priorities: deep tax cuts, increased spending for defense and immigration enforcement, cuts to Medicaid, and the rescission of major appropriations, including the CPB’s. The legislation was passed in June by narrow margins in both chambers of Congress and signed by President Trump at a White House event on Independence Day.

The CPB has historically directed federal funds to local PBS and NPR stations, many of which depend on the support to maintain operations—especially in underserved rural communities. While local donations and corporate underwriting make up a substantial portion of budgets, CPB grants have provided critical support for technological upgrades, content development, and emergency broadcasting infrastructure.

“These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas,” PBS President Paula Kerger warned earlier this month.

As one of the nation’s longest-running cultural institutions prepares to shutter, the question remains: What will fill the silence it leaves behind?

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