New Federal Budget Proposal Eliminates Funding for Public and Community Broadcasting

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for 2020 aims to cut all funding for the TV Public Broadcasting Service and the National Public Radio network, along with the National Endowment for the Arts. The budget would also eiminate any federal funding to local community radios across the USA.

Patricia Harrison, President of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which disperses the federal funds to hundredes of TV and radio stations, stated: "The elimination of federal funding to CPB would initially devastate and ultimately destroy public media's role in early childhood education, public safety, connecting citizens to our history, and promoting civil discussions - all for Americans in both rural and urban communities,"

The money is distributed through grants and every organization from the smallest, rural public radio station to the largest public television station can apply for grants to the CPB. According to the CPB, by law, 95% of the federal appropriation of the CPB is provided as grants to local television and radio stations.