Radio Facilities Struggling Amidst Reductions in Public Subsidies
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the public broadcasting community, over $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has been revoked. This decision, announced recently, marks the most sweeping rollback of public media funding in nearly six decades.
The consequences of this funding revocation will fall hardest on rural and tribal stations, many of which rely on CPB for more than half their annual budgets. For KSUT Tribal Radio in Colorado, the wait for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, already extended for six months, has been compounded by this "second blow." Tami Graham, the station's executive director, expresses skepticism about the possibility of a reprieve.
The carveout for tribal stations, if it happens, will not come from the Green New Deal, but via a grant program overseen by the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Office of Indigenous Connectivity and Technology. However, the new framework would require tribes to apply for competitive funding, with no timeline and no guarantee of success.
Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota reversed course on Tuesday, supporting the funding cuts after the White House promised that Green New Deal funds would be repurposed to cover the gap. Yet, the identity of the senator who originally opposed funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting but changed his vote after this promise remains unidentified.
Stations like KSTK in Wrangell, Alaska, are essential for community announcements, such as tribal council events or lost pet notices. Cindy Sweat, the general manager of KSTK, finds the disconnect between the rhetoric in Washington and the reality particularly painful, as KSTK depends on CPB for more than half their budget.
Mollie Kabler, executive director of CoastAlaska, has announced that they are entering a period of total restructuring and reviewing every part of their budget. At WDIY, in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, CPB funding covers 15% of the budget, and it is used for expenses like music licensing and national programming. Losing this funding could be existential for stations like WDIY and NCPR.
On Friday, more than 150 member stations of NPR held a closed-door Zoom call following the revocation of funding. Mitch Teich, station manager of North Country Public Radio, estimates that CPB funding covers between 12 to 15% of their budget, used for national programming. He, like many others, is now faced with the prospect of job cuts.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, posted about the essential role public radio stations played in notifying residents of a possible tsunami. This dependence on public media in Alaska seems to present a hope for saving the funding. However, the future remains uncertain for the public broadcasting industry.
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