The White House intends to ask Congress to rescind more than $9 billion in previously approved funding to various agencies, including over $1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, reports NPR and other news outlets. If passed, this proposal would eliminate all federal support for CPB in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
This would effectively eliminate federal funding for nearly 1,500 public media stations across the country‚ including WUWM. The result? Deep cuts to the local, national and international news you rely on, especially in rural and remote communities where public media is often the only trusted source of information.
What is the CPB and why does it matter?
You may not hear much about the CPB, but it plays a foundational role in our country’s public media system. Created by Congress in 1967 through the Public Broadcasting Act, the CPB was designed to ensure that high-quality, non-commercial, and community-rooted media would be accessible to all Americans.
It doesn’t create content or run stations. Instead, the CPB distributes federal funding to local public radio and television stations and supports innovative programming. It’s also not a government agency in the same way that Voice of America is inside the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Recognizing the importance of independence and stability, the CPB is a private nonprofit that’s funded by Congress through two-year advanced appropriation, which means that any budget Congress passes funds CPB two years in the future. This is meant to safeguard public media from changing political winds. This model enabled the creation of both PBS and NPR, and remains essential to keeping their journalism freely available across the country.
The idea that public funds should be used to support the development of independent, educational, and cultural programming to create an informed citizenry, which is an essential part of a functional democracy, was — and still is — a bold idea. Over the years, CPB funds have empowered stations like ours to advance our mission to connect, inform and inspire the community and to focus on voices and perspectives beyond what commercial media might prioritize.
What CPB does today
CPB funding supports local stations primarily through Community Service Grants. These are critical operational dollars that help stations stay on the air, especially those serving small or rural communities. The CPB also plays a vital behind-the-scenes role to:
- Support the satellite interconnection system that lets stations share content nationwide in real time.
- Invest in the Next Generation Warning System, an upgrade to the Emergency Alert System that helps stations deliver emergency broadcasts during natural disasters or public safety threats.
- Manage music licensing for public media, a valuable and often overlooked service.
All of this amounts to about 0.0073% of the national budget — or about $1.60 per American per year — which is an incredible value. Replacing even a fraction of these services on our own would cost local stations millions.
Why are these cuts being proposed?
CPB has faced defunding attempts before. You might remember Fred Rogers’ famous 1969 testimony defending its value. The efforts to cut CPB are typically framed around concerns about spending, perceived bias or the role of government in media.
This time, however, the scrutiny is sharper. The White House recently cited several NPR and PBS stories it considered biased as a possible rationale for funding cuts. But if you look at those stories, you’ll find that they are thoughtful, well-reported pieces about science, culture, and history — exactly the kind of journalism and storytelling that helps people better understand the world around them.
What this means for WUWM
CPB funding represents about 6% of our annual budget — equaling $320,000. While the proposed cuts wouldn’t affect our bottom line until early 2026, the uncertainty adds complexity to our planning for the year. And while this doesn’t change our commitment to deliver trusted news and smart conversation, it could limit our flexibility to invest in the reporting and programming you hear from NPR, the BBC and other public media partners.
What happens next
Once the Trump administration submits its proposal to Congress — which could happen as soon as this week — Congress has 45 days to act. It can approve, reject, amend or choose not to vote at all (in which case the original funding remains in place.) Either chamber can stop the rescission by voting it down.
What you can do
In a fragmented media environment dominated by paywalls, clickbait and algorithms, public media remains committed to something different: trusted news, lifelong learning, and content that builds connection. CPB is one of the reasons that’s possible.
Because you value that mission, here are a few ways you can help right now:
- Stay informed. Sign up at Protect My Public Media for updates on how and when to contact your elected officials.
- Contact Congress. You can also use this resource to reach out to your senators and representatives to let them know you support federal funding for public media.
- Become a member. Over 80% of our budget comes from community support, but only about 10% of listeners give. If you haven’t yet, now’s a great time to join.
- Engage with us. Listen on-air, online or via our app. Share your thoughts at wuwm@uwm.edu, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media —@wuwmradio.
- Spread the word. Please share this post with your network.
Your support ensures that WUWM and stations like ours can continue to serve our communities with fact-based journalism, music, storytelling, and public safetyinformation. We’re here because of you.
