Philanthropic Groups Pledge $37 Million to Support Public Media Amid CPB Shutdown and Ari Shapiro Departure

Several philanthropic organizations have pledged nearly $37 million in emergency funding to support public media stations affected by recent federal funding cuts. These cuts stem from a rescissions package passed by Congress and a decision by the Trump administration to shut down the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which had provided grants to local TV and radio stations for nearly six decades. The funding reductions have raised concerns about the impact on rural news coverage, with Austin PBS CEO Luis Patiño highlighting the potential deprivation of crucial news services in those areas. Public media stations, including those in Texas and Lakeshore Public Media, are facing budget shortfalls amid the elimination of federal and state funding. NPR’s longtime host Ari Shapiro announced he will leave the network at the end of September, though he stated his departure is unrelated to the funding challenges. Meanwhile, some political figures have called for further actions such as revoking PBS licenses. The philanthropic funding aims to stabilize, support, and revitalize public media during this period of financial uncertainty.