Trump's 2021 Budget Greatly Reduces Funding for Public Media

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, February 10, 2020

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

President Donald Trump's proposed full year 2021 budget would rescind all but $30 million of each 2021 and 2022 funding for public media. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting President/CEO Patricia Harrison Broadcasting (CPB) said in a statement, "We look forward to working with Congress in the continued pursuit of our statutory public service mission of supporting educational, informational and diverse content that addresses the needs of our nation's citizens -- a mission the American people overwhelmingly trust in and support.

"The federal appropriation to CPB is the foundation of our uniquely American, public-private partnership that supports our nation's public media system -- a system of more than 1,500 locally controlled and operated public television and radio stations across the country. This seed money pays invaluable dividends to millions of Americans and their families in the form of content and resources that educate, inform and inspire.

"Through public media initiatives such as American Graduate and Ready To Learn, stations provide high-quality educational content and community engagement that helps Americans prepare for success in school and career. As the most trusted news source in America, local public media stations offer journalism that elevates local stories to a national audience. Further, public media stations' infrastructure provides critical communications functions during local and national emergencies to first responders and emergency management officials."

CPB currently supports the operations of over 1500 public radio and television stations.