The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has formally dissolved after nearly 60 years of operation, following significant federal funding cuts under former US President Donald Trump. The non-profit, which allocated funds to NPR, PBS, and other public media outlets, announced its board of directors voted to dissolve the organisation.
Patricia Harrison, CPB's president and CEO, stated that the board voted to dissolve as it 'faced a profound responsibility'. She added: 'CPB's final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organisation to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attack.'
The CPB was created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 to support NPR, PBS, and 1,500 locally owned public media stations, distributing $500m annually. Trump and his allies had long criticised PBS and NPR, with plans to cut funding outlined in Project 2025. In July, Trump warned Republicans against opposing funding cuts, and the Republican-controlled Congress subsequently cut $1.1bn from the CPB, forcing it to shut down in August.
Local public broadcasting stations have been vital for news deserts, with over half of the 544 funded stations considered rural, providing access to 99% of Americans. The funding cuts have spurred 'rage-giving', with $70m in donations over the past year, though an analysis suggests 15% of local stations risk closure within three years.
Ruby Calvert, chair of the CPB board, expressed confidence that 'public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media's role in our country because it is critical to our children's education, our history, culture and democracy to do so'.
