In a landmark decision that ends a nearly six-decade chapter, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the congressionally created entity that financed American public radio and television, has officially voted to dissolve. This move comes after US lawmakers withdrew its federal funding, plunging the nation's public media system into a period of profound uncertainty.
The Final Vote and Orderly Wind-Down
On Monday, the CPB confirmed its board of directors formally approved the organisation's closure. This action finalises plans first set in motion last year when Congress moved to strip away more than $500 million in annual funding from the corporation. Since that decision, CPB executives have been engaged in an "orderly wind-down", steadily distributing remaining reserves to public media outlets.
CPB leaders had initially considered placing the organisation into hibernation, preserving its legal structure in case future Congresses restored funding. However, this option was rejected. The corporation's statement warned that remaining dormant could leave it open to "political manipulation or misuse", threatening the editorial independence that has been its hallmark.
"C.P.B.'s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks," said Patricia Harrison, the corporation's president and chief executive.
Political Pressure and the End of an Era
The dissolution follows years of sustained political criticism, notably from former President Donald Trump and his conservative allies, who have long accused public broadcasters like NPR and PBS of ideological bias. During his campaign for a second term, Trump repeatedly called for an end to federal funding for these entities.
This sentiment was crystallised in the conservative policy blueprint Project 2025. By May of last year, Trump had formally urged Congress to act. A memo accused NPR and PBS of spreading "radical, woke propaganda" at taxpayer expense. In July, a Republican-controlled Congress voted to claw back $1.1 billion earmarked for public broadcasting over the next two years.
Following the funding loss, CPB announced its shutdown in August. Most of its roughly 100 employees were laid off by the end of September 2024, with a skeleton crew remaining until January 2026 to complete the closure process.
Impact on Local Stations and the Road Ahead
The fallout from CPB's dissolution will be felt most acutely at the local level. More than 70% of CPB's federal funding went directly to local stations, many serving rural or underserved communities. Of the 544 public radio and TV stations CPB supported, over half were classified as rural, collectively reaching an estimated 99% of Americans.
Media analysts warn the funding cuts will hit "news deserts" the hardest—areas where local newspapers and commercial broadcasters have already vanished. One analysis suggests up to 15% of local public stations could close within three years without alternative funding.
In response, there has been a surge in private donations, described as "rage-giving," totalling around $70 million. However, it remains unclear if listener contributions and philanthropy can replace long-term federal support.
Despite the setback, CPB leadership expressed cautious optimism. Ruby Calvert, chair of the CPB board, called the decision "devastating" but expressed confidence in public media's resilience. "I am convinced that public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media’s role in our country because it is critical to our children’s education, our history, culture and democracy," Calvert stated.
CPB's final duties include distributing remaining funds and supporting the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. The corporation has also partnered with the University of Maryland to preserve and make publicly accessible its institutional archives, safeguarding the history of an institution born from the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
