For millions of Americans, especially those in rural communities, public media isn’t just a source of news or entertainment, it’s a utility. It’s how people get emergency alerts, how children access educational content and how communities stay informed when other options aren’t available.
That’s why Congress’s decision to gut $1.1 billion in federal funding to public broadcasting should concern everyone.
Early Friday morning, the House approved the rescissions package with a 216-213 vote, after the Senate approved the bill Thursday morning. And now, it’s official. Now, it’s awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature.
When signed, hundreds of local PBS and NPR stations will lose core funding. For many smaller stations, this could mean layoffs, reduced services or shutting down entirely.
Although federal funding accounts for only 15% of PBS’s overall budget, it makes up a majority of the budget for small and rural stations.
About 70% of Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds go directly to over 1,500 local stations, supporting their operations, programming and community outreach.
For smaller stations where alternative funding options are scarce, the stakes are high.
“Losing this critical money makes it far more likely the lights will go out on local, independent media in counties across the country,” PBS warned in a fact sheet.
At stations like Smoky Hills PBS in western Kansas, where nearly half of their annual budget comes from federal dollars, the impact could be devastating.
“This isn’t just about TV. It’s about access to educational programming, to local coverage, and to reliable information for rural and underserved areas,” Betsy Schwein, the general manager of the station, wrote. “This isn’t just funding – it’s a lifeline for learning, something we have taken pride in providing Kansans for decades.”
In Tribal Nations, sovereign communities of Indigenous peoples, the loss could be even greater. Native Public Media in Flagstaff, Arizona, supports a network of over 60 radio and TV stations. Roughly three dozen of those could go off the air if the cuts are approved, according to Loris Taylor, president and CEO.
“When a station goes dark, the entire community loses not just the signal but also the service, safety, connection, and the voice that Tribal media uniquely provides,” Taylor wrote in a recent op-ed.
Right here in Athens, the impact is personal. WOUB Public Media stands to lose nearly $1.4 million, nearly 25% of its total budget.
Some legislators claim this is about eliminating bias in the media, an argument made in Trump’s executive order, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media.” This effort isn’t aimed at national programming. It targets the smaller, local operations that provide essential services to communities with fewer options.
Public broadcasting also fills essential educational gaps. PBS reports that 90% of parents believe PBS KIDS helps prepare their children for school. This is particularly important in states like Arizona, where most children don’t attend preschool.
“For many families, public television is one of their only early childhood education tools,” Sen. Ruben Gallego said on the Senate floor Wednesday.
Despite political divisions, support for public broadcasting remains large. In Oklahoma, 70% of residents say their local PBS station provides excellent value. In Maine, 87% of residents say PBS funding should stay the same or increase, including 70% of Trump voters.
With the passage of the bill, infrastructure and local programming, two of the largest expenses, will likely be the first to go. It means fewer emergency alerts, fewer school-readiness programs and fewer community conversations.
I recently visited the PBS News Hour headquarters, thanks to a connection with a producer, and observed first-hand the complex, dedicated operations behind one of the country’s most trusted news programs.
From producers planning the nightly hour-long segment to editors managing real-time scripts and footage, the experience showed me the public value and behind-the-scenes work that would be jeopardized without federal funding.
As Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of just two Republican senators to oppose the bill, put it: “If you don’t like what’s going on within NPR, we can address that, but you don’t need to gut the entire corporation for public broadcasting,” Murkowski said.
This decision shouldn’t be about political messaging. It should be about real-world consequences for communities that rely on these services. Pulling funding from public media will be felt in every place that loses a trusted source of news, education and connection.
Donate to your local PBS station here or share your story about how public media has impacted you here.
Maggie Amacher is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have something to say? Email Maggie at ma657122@ohio.edu.
