As NPR, the New York Times and other news outlets have reported, the Trump administration wants to rescind $1.1 billion in federal support to public media, which is funding for the next two years that Congress had previously approved.
WPSU gets about 20% of its funding from CPB. The amount varies based on a number of factors, but this year WPSU is getting about $1.8 million.
Here is a look at what federal funding supports, and what it could mean for stations, including WPSU, if Congress does approve cutting or eliminating public media funding.
What is happening?
The Trump administration plans to send a memo to Congress after the House gets back from recess on April 24. The administration is proposing that Congress claw back previously approved funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Congress will have 45 days to vote on the proposal if and when it is presented. Simple majority approval would be needed in both the House and Senate. Republicans control both chambers — 220-213 in the House and 53-47 in the Senate, including two independent Senators who caucus with Democrats.
If the proposal is made and Congress approves it, it would rescind CPB funding through 2027.
How does public media funding work?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a nonprofit created by Congress in 1967. NPR gets about 1% of its funding and PBS gets about 15% directly from CPB. About 70% of CPB funding goes to member stations across the country. There are about 1,500 locally operated public radio and television stations nationwide.
NPR member stations receive an average of 8% - 10% of their funding from CPB, and PBS member stations receive an average of 15% of their funding from CPB. But WPSU receives about 20% of its funding from CPB, in part because it serves a rural area.
At WPSU, most of that funding goes to purchasing national programming for radio and TV, such as All Things Considered, News Hour and Masterpiece Theatre. WPSU uses some of the funding to support some salaries as well.
Why is public media important for safety?
NPR and PBS reach 99% of the public. Local public broadcasting infrastructure ensures that all Americans have access to local public safety information and life-saving emergency alerts through the Emergency Alert System and as a pathway for delivering Wireless Emergency Alerts to cell phones.
What could this mean for WPSU and you?
WPSU is a PBS and NPR member station. It provides free programming and information to 1.3 million people in a largely rural part of Pennsylvania. Its television signal reaches 24 counties in central and northern Pennsylvania and radio reaches 13 counties. WPSU produces local radio, TV and online news and shows that complement national programming. WPSU also hosts educational community events and programs.
If CPB funding is eliminated in upcoming years, it could mean reducing or eliminating national programming, local programming and community engagement and events.
WPSU Executive Director and General Manager Isabel Reinert said because WPSU receives that federal money, it can use other funding to create local programming, hold community events and provide local news coverage.
"We can use other monies and other resources to hold those community engagement activities, the events, the children's family nights, where we have STEM education that is shared, where we do a lot of our local programming — our Keystone Stories, our Local Groove Presents, our Culinary Connections, our radio reporting," she said. "And if one of those sources of funding were to not be there, it would very much change the dynamics in ways that I can't even really anticipate today."
What can I do?
To learn more about being part of efforts to show support for WPSU and other public radio and television stations, visit Protect my Public Media at protectmypublicmedia.org.