Key Points
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting voted to dissolve after Congress eliminated all federal funding at President Trump’s request.
- CPB said operating without funding would risk political misuse and legal exposure, prompting an orderly shutdown.
- The decision has already triggered layoffs and budget crises across public radio and television stations.
After 58 years of service to the American public, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board of Directors has formally voted to dissolve the organization, it affirmed on Monday.
The decision follows Congress’s decision to rescind all federal funding at the behest of President Trump, executives at the organization confirmed in a press release.
The CPB Board determined that continuing as an unfunded entity would not serve the public interest and could expose the organization to political misuse or legal risk. Instead, CPB will conduct an orderly closure, distributing remaining funds in alignment with congressional intent and preserving its archives through partnerships with the American Archive of Public Broadcasting and the University of Maryland.
“What has happened to public media is devastating. After nearly six decades of innovative, educational public television and radio service, Congress eliminated all funding for CPB, leaving the Board with no way to continue the organization or support the public media system that depends on it,” CPB Board Chair Ruby Calvert said in a statement. “Yet, even in this moment, I am convinced 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.”
The elimination of CPB funds immediately triggered station-level layoffs and emergency budget reviews at public radio organizations across the US. The recession also led to a brief schism between NPR and CPB in court over control of the Public Radio Satellite System, after CPB shifted $57.9 million in funding to a consortium including PRX, American Public Media Group, New York Public Radio, and others, called Public Media Infrastructure.
NPR accused CPB of political retaliation, claiming the agency capitulated to White House pressure after President Trump’s executive order to defund NPR and PBS. CPB countered that the decision was made independently to modernize public radio distribution and better serve diverse stations, calling NPR’s allegations baseless.
In November, both parties reached a settlement, with NPR receiving $35.96 million for continued satellite system operations while PMI received its funding to develop new distribution technologies. Both sides claimed victory, though NPR continues challenging the Trump executive order’s constitutionality in court.
“For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure that all Americans — regardless of geography, income, or background—had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said on Monday. “When the Administration and Congress rescinded federal funding, our Board faced a profound responsibility: 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 organization to remain de-funded and vulnerable to additional attacks.”
“Public media remains essential to a healthy democracy,” Harrison said. “Our hope is that future leaders and generations will recognize its value, defend its independence, and continue the work of ensuring that trustworthy, educational, and community-centered media remains accessible to all Americans.”
Established by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, CPB helped develop a nationwide system of more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations. Under its stewardship, public broadcasting became a trusted public service, offering educational programming, delivering critical emergency information during disasters, and supporting local journalism that connects communities and strengthens civic participation.
