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Trump to PBS and NPR: I’m cutting you off…

Y2kTheNewOldies said:
Here is an update on how the State of North Dakota responds to funding public media in the state.
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"A bill mandating that Prairie Public funding be eliminated advanced through the House but was defeated in the Senate."
That's the way it ought to work. Most of the grown-ups are in the Senate, and their job is to keep all the stupid stuff that comes from the adolescents in the House from ever becoming law.
 
www.kennedy.senate.gov

Kennedy champions No Propaganda Act to end taxpayer funding of partisan government broadcasting network

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the Senate companion to the No Propaganda Act to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The bill would block federal funding for the CPB, which funnels taxpayer dollars to National...
www.kennedy.senate.gov www.kennedy.senate.gov

If you are wondering why the White House called for Defunding CPB and firing its board members some of this came from Senator Kennedy proposed bill on defunding CPB.

However, in April, a whistleblower exposed NPR’s decision not to broadcast the Hunter Biden laptop scandal because NPR believed covering the story would help presidential candidate Donald Trump during the 2020 election cycle.


In 2020, reports also revealed that PBS used taxpayer dollars to partner with a Chinese Communist Party-controlled media outlet, CGTN, to produce a pro-Beijing film.
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This is one crazy claim. But PBS has aired Docs that were very critical to China via Frontline.


 
current.org

Experts say Trump’s CPB order ‘should have no legal effect’

“Whether it will have a practical effect or a political effect, I suppose, is a different question,” said James B. Speta, a professor at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
current.org current.org

Here is one that we knew CPB, NPR, PBS and Local affiliates have been pointing to for some time. Congress approves the funding to CPB.

‘It’s not a legal order’​


Ellen P. Goodman, a professor at Rutgers Law School, called the executive order “lawless.”


She pointed out that there is a “perennial threat” to ending funding for public broadcasting but that it plays out in Congress, which is “what the law requires.” The Public Broadcasting Act is an act of Congress that “sets up a funding mechanism that funding will go through CPB,” she said.


CPB is “constrained” by the Public Broadcasting Act, she said. “CPB doesn’t just get this money and they can do whatever they want with it,” she said. “So it’s not like they could just say ‘We’re no longer going to give to the stations, we’ve decided.’”
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nomadcowatbk said:
www.independent.co.uk

Trump announced Alcatraz reopening hours after ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ aired on PBS

The 1979 film starring Clint Eastwood about the daring 1962 escape attempt aired on the local PBS channel just six hours before the president made his demand that the prison be reopened
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
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What an interesting story but Alcatraz is currently managed by the National Park Service. Unless he is mixing it with San Quentin a major prison in the San Francisco area which is near I-580 @ US-101 near the Richmond San Rafael Bridge in Marin County, California which is an active as of 2025.

www.nps.gov

Alcatraz Island (U.S. National Park Service)

Alcatraz reveals stories of American incarceration, justice, and our common humanity. This small island was once a fort, a military prison, and a maximum security federal penitentiary. In 1969, the Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz for 19 months in the name of freedom and Native American...
www.nps.gov www.nps.gov

Then I get it that movie happens to air on PBS affiliates as part of the pledge drive weekend for the local affilaites. Also they cite a 1979 movie about Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood.
 
current.org

WQED suspends youth media academy, lays off staff - Current

The station made the decision as it navigates “unprecedented threats to federal funding for the arts, education, and public broadcasting.”
current.org current.org

www.wqed.org

The Creator Academy

The Creator Academy (formerly WQED Film Academy) offers the basics of digital media arts and hands-on filmmaking in our WQED studios utilizing professional mentors and teachers.
www.wqed.org www.wqed.org

WQED-TV has ended one of their programs. Yes the CPB cuts, elimination threat and lawsuits is a factor here for cutting WQED-TV's "The Creator Academy".

We have made the difficult decision to suspend The Creator Academy (formerly the WQED Film Academy), as we navigate unprecedented threats to federal funding for the arts, education, and public broadcasting.

We have a fiduciary duty to adapt our programs to align with funding realities, community impact, and WQED’s long-term sustainability. We must be prudent with our resources while various legal challenges work through the courts.

We hope to resume youth media education as we get more clarity about past and future sources of funding. We aim to create accessible educational experiences with broad impact and equity across the region and always appreciate community input.
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www.wesa.fm

Trump’s trying to kill federal funding for public radio: What it means for WESA & local journalism

Frequently asked questions about how public media funding works, and what impact the absence of that funding may have on us.
www.wesa.fm www.wesa.fm

In this case the message is exactly like the CEO's of NPR and PBS has made in last weeks address over the CPB defund threat. In this case they have to wait for CPB Board and CEO to respond how they will handle the lawsuit against the White House.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1920218095236624524

www.yahoo.com

Unpacking claims that 'Sesame Street' characters parodying Trump caused him to target PBS' federal funding

In the past, four "Sesame Street" characters parodied U.S. President Donald Trump, including Oscar-winning actor Joe Pesci and three Muppets.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

Yes there are claims that the Administration is cutting funding to Public Television because of a Character on Sesame Street doing a parody of Donald Trump. But that's been considered questionable given that we have been looking around PBS News hour and PBS Frontline as reference points over news coverage that were critical of Trump.
 
current.org

Facing Trump threat, CPB amends bylaws to protect directors from removal - Current

Its bylaws now say no one, including the president, can remove a director without approval from at least two-thirds of the other directors.
current.org current.org

Here is an update from CPB over its bylaws in response to the Trump Administration threat.

CPB amended its bylaws Thursday to say that no one, including the president, can remove its directors without a vote of approval from at least two-thirds of the other directors.

CPB’s board approved the change following a hearing Wednesday in the corporation’s case against President Donald Trump. The judge conducting the hearing suggested such a move.

CPB sued Trump and other administration officials in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., after the deputy director of presidential personnel for the executive office of the president told board members Laura G. Ross, Diane Kaplan and Tom Rothman in an email that their CPB positions were terminated.

During the hearing, Judge Randolph D. Moss said he thought CPB’s board could “protect itself if it wanted to be protected” by amending its bylaws.
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current.org

PBS furloughs 25% of PBS Kids staff following Ready To Learn cuts - Current

The job suspensions are linked to the Department of Education’s decision to terminate 2020–25 Ready To Learn grants.
current.org current.org

PBS cuts 25% of its staff from the PBS Kids division due to the cut to grants.

ATLANTA — PBS has furloughed staff in response to its changing financial outlook, President Paula Kerger said during her keynote address Monday at the PBS Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

The cuts were related to the abrupt termination of the Department of Education’s 2020–25 Ready To Learn grants earlier this month. CPB subsequently informed PBS and 44 public media stations that receive Ready To Learn grants to stop their work.

“We’ve been forced to furlough really talented members of our staff at PBS as we figure out how to continue to advance the PBS Kids service,” Kerger said at the conference. “We are going to keep fighting.”
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NPR and their local affiliates Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio and KSUT sue the Trump administration for political interference.
So far PBS is not officially involved in the lawsuit.
"The Executive Order is a clear violation of the Constitution and the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech and association, and freedom of the press," NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher said in a statement.

PBS is not a party to the lawsuit. The television network issued a statement Tuesday morning saying, "PBS is considering every option, including taking legal action, to allow our organization to continue to provide essential programming and services to member stations and all Americans."
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www.pbs.org

NPR sues Trump administration over executive order to cut funding to public media

The lawsuit says that the executive order "is textbook retaliation and viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment."
www.pbs.org www.pbs.org
 
current.org

White House seeks to rescind $1.1 billion in CPB funding

President Trump sent a rescission package to Congress Tuesday that includes FY26 and FY27 funding for CPB.
current.org current.org

Here is an update on the threats directed at CPB. This may affect the outcome on where the CPB, PBS and NPR lawsuits are going in this case if approved.

deadline.com

Trump Administration Sends Congress Its Proposal To Rescind NPR, PBS And Public Media Station Funding

The Trump administration has put sent a rescission package to Congress that would eliminate $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
deadline.com deadline.com

The Trump administration said Tuesday that it has sent to Congress its proposal to roll back $1.1 billion in funding allocated to public media stations, NPR and PBS, continuing the president’s effort to punish mainstream media.

The cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit entity that distributes money to public media, were part of a rescissions package that also include cuts to foreign aid and other programs. The CPB operates on a two-year advanced appropriation cycle, something set up by Congress to try to shield it from political interference. The Trump administration proposal would eliminate the annual $535 million in funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
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America’s Public Television Stations Oppose Proposed Rescission of Essential Funding for Local Public Television Stations | APTS

apts.org apts.org

Here is a Statement from America's Public Television Stations over the new White House proposal.

“America’s Public Television Stations strongly oppose the rescissions package to eliminate funding for local public media stations throughout the country.

“Americans in every corner of this country rely on our local public television stations to provide lifesaving public safety and educational services and local community connections for free, every day. These services are only made possible by the federal funding for public media.

“We urge Congress to reject this destructive proposal to eliminate public media funding and public media itself.

“This proposed elimination of CPB funding – the substantial majority of which goes to local stations – will result in immediate and serious cuts of stations’ local services and in some cases the total closure of stations, particularly in rural communities.
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Y2kTheNewOldies said:
current.org

Study shows Americans trust PBS precisely because it’s publicly funded

A study finds that "Americans from across the political spectrum do not subscribe to the notion of a biased PBS."
current.org current.org

Here is one on the study on Americans view PBS as a trusted institution. We had multiple studies on this with NPR held in the same regards as this article is showing.
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This study asked PBS viewers how much they liked and trusted PBS.

"In our article, “An island of trust: public broadcasting in the United States,” we report the findings of a nationwide representative survey of PBS audiences (n=1,500)."

This is like asking someone who just downloaded a bunch of Taylor Swift cuts how much they like Taylor Swift.

That article gets even worse:

"Crucially, and in direct opposition to the claims in President Trump’s executive order and Republican politicians’ statements, our findings indicate that PBS audiences evaluate its news as unbiased."

Would the actual viewers of PBS be there if they did not find the news to their liking?

This is like asking those who bought season passes to an NFL team if they like football.
 
DavidEduardo said:
This study asked PBS viewers how much they liked and trusted PBS.

"In our article, “An island of trust: public broadcasting in the United States,” we report the findings of a nationwide representative survey of PBS audiences (n=1,500)."

This is like asking someone who just downloaded a bunch of Taylor Swift cuts how much they like Taylor Swift.

That article gets even worse:

"Crucially, and in direct opposition to the claims in President Trump’s executive order and Republican politicians’ statements, our findings indicate that PBS audiences evaluate its news as unbiased."

Would the actual viewers of PBS be there if they did not find the news to their liking?

This is like asking those who bought season passes to an NFL team if they like football.
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The point is that the PBS viewers that the study asked were "Americans from across the political spectrum." Of course, all we know is that 1,500 such people were surveyed. We don't know what the right/left split of that 1,500 number was. And we don't know what the "middle" of that spectrum might be. I'm a pro-gun, pro-choice, pro-gambling, pro-marijuana, country music-loving, classical music-loving Democratic voter. Which camp would that survey put me in? Hell, I don't even know.
 
arkansasadvocate.com

Arkansas PBS officials will form plan to 'adjust' to potential $2.5M federal funding cut | Arkansas Advocate

The network’s planned nationwide search for a new executive director is still getting underway, Commission Chairman West Doss said.
arkansasadvocate.com arkansasadvocate.com

arkansasadvocate.com

Trump wants Congress to slash $9.4B in spending now, defund NPR and PBS | Arkansas Advocate

The Trump administration plans to send its first spending cuts request to Congress on Tuesday, asking lawmakers to swiftly eliminate $9.4 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and various foreign aid programs.
arkansasadvocate.com arkansasadvocate.com

Here are more specifics on how the local affiliates of PBS are affected by the CPB cuts and in this case the articles focus on Arkansas PBS the statewide affiliate.

Arkansas PBS would lose $2.5 million in programming and operational funds if President Donald Trump’s desired cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting come to fruition, interim executive director Sajni Kumpuris told the network’s governing board at its quarterly meeting Thursday.

Trump’s Tuesday proposal calls on Congress to eliminate $1.1 billion from the entity that provides funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. Lawmakers have 45 days from Tuesday to consider the request.

In the meantime, Kumpuris told the Arkansas PBS Commission, the agency should formulate a plan in case it loses 22% of its total funding.

“We will have to adjust and figure out what that means to us and tell you guys, ‘This is what it means as far as the services we offer without having that [money],’” Kumpuris said.
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CTListener said:
The point is that the PBS viewers that the study asked were "Americans from across the political spectrum." Of course, all we know is that 1,500 such people were surveyed. We don't know what the right/left split of that 1,500 number was. And we don't know what the "middle" of that spectrum might be. I'm a pro-gun, pro-choice, pro-gambling, pro-marijuana, country music-loving, classical music-loving Democratic voter. Which camp would that survey put me in? Hell, I don't even know.
Click to expand...
My point is that you don't ask "the buyers of a Big Mac if they like McDonalds". They did not ask a broad cross section of Americans whether they used PBS and, if they did, if they liked it... and if they didn't, why they did not.
 


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