US Congress pulls public broadcasting funding and the CPB announces its wind-down

The US Congress approved in July 2025, at the White House’s request, the cancellation of about $1.1 billion already allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the entity that distributes federal funds to NPR, PBS and roughly 1,500 local public stations. The president signed the bill on 24 July.

On 1 August, the CPB announced it would begin an orderly wind-down of its operations. Major national networks depend only partly on these funds, but many rural and local stations — often the only source of local news in their area — rely on them decisively.

Media researchers warned of the risk of widening so-called “news deserts,” communities with no outlet covering local affairs, a phenomenon already documented across much of the country.

Sources: Corporation for Public Broadcasting (official statement); NPR.