PBS and NPR Brace for Shutdown After Congress Cuts $1.1B in Public Media Funding

People participate in a rally to call on Congress to protect funding for US public broadcasters, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), outside the NPR headquarters in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2025.

Public media in the United States is facing its most serious crisis in decades after Congress eliminated $1.1 billion in federal funding.

The move, backed by President Trump and Republican lawmakers, has forced the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to shut down operations and left hundreds of PBS and NPR stations scrambling for survival.