This week, several news outlets (NPR, The Hill, New York Times, and New York Post, among others) reported that the White House announced its intent to submit a rescission proposal, which would claw back money previously appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) by Congress. The request is to rescind more than $1 billion allocated to CPB over the next two years.
The elimination of these funds represents an existential crisis to independent public radio and television stations around the country that receive the bulk of that funding.
KCRW, like all public radio stations, is locally managed and makes programming and service decisions to address our unique community’s needs. That work is funded, in part, by the CPB.
We've put together these frequently asked questions about how public media funding works, and what impact the absence of that funding may have on KCRW. If you have other questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at membership@kcrw.org.
What has happened up to this point?
- March 14th: Congress passed a Continuing Resolution including CPB funding through fiscal year 2027
- March 26th: NPR and PBS CEOs testify before Congress at a hearing targeting CPB funding. Watch that hearing here
What just happened?
On April 14th, the White House announced plans to submit a formal rescission proposal to Congress to eliminate previously appropriated funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). If submitted, the proposal would trigger a 45-day review period in Congress. While the CPB is funded through 2027 by Congress, this executive proposal aims to eliminate those funds and is an unprecedented move to eliminate federal support for public media. When the formal proposal is sent to Congress, lawmakers will have 45 days to either rescind the funds or reject the proposal.
Public media funding makes up a small fraction of the federal budget, but its impact is enormous, particularly for rural, underserved, and emergency-prone communities. KCRW, NPR, PBS, and local stations across the country are now facing a direct and immediate threat to our ability to serve the public. Your voice — right now — can help stop it.
What can I do to help? How can I advocate for continued support of public media?
If you value the journalism, storytelling, cultural programming, events, and community service that KCRW provides, we urge you to take action today.
Ensure your voice is heard by your members of Congress who control the appropriations process. Go to ProtectMyPublicMedia.org to find out who your representatives are and write to them. Tell them you support federal funding for public media and ask them to reject this rescission proposal. It only takes a minute, and your voice is a powerful defense against these cuts.
You can also let your friends know what’s happening and why public media is important to you. Donations from our local community support are our largest and most stable source of funding, and no matter what happens, continuing KCRW's mission will require your ongoing, generous financial support. If you're already a KCRW supporter, thank you! If you’re not, or you can give more generously, now is an excellent time to become a monthly donor or increase your existing donation.
Public media has always been supported by the communities it serves — and right now, that support matters more than ever.
What is the CPB's role in public broadcasting?
The CPB is distinct from both NPR and PBS. It is not a broadcaster but an independent, nonprofit organization created by Congress in 1967 with two primary functions: To serve as a firewall between partisan politics and public broadcasting and to help fund programming, stations, and technology.
Funding for CPB is established through the federal budget annual appropriations process two years in advance with the intention of insulating funding from political pressures. Its total appropriation is currently over $500 million. The CPB is responsible for allocating their funds from the federal budget in any way that fulfills their mission: To ensure universal access, over-the-air and online, to high-quality content and telecommunications services that are commercial free and free of charge.
Most CPB funding goes directly to local stations so they can decide how best to program for their communities.
- Public media reaches 99% of the U.S. population and serves millions of Americans every day.
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is an independent nonprofit that distributes federal dollars (an average of $1.60 per American annually) to local stations. That money is used to invest in programming and services according to each community's needs.
- About 5% of KCRW's annual funding comes from the CPB.
- CPB funding allows public media stations to pool resources towards satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, music licensing, and development of educational programs, all of which would be too expensive for stations to do on their own.
- Cuts to federal funding would negatively impact the ability for rural stations to serve the people who need it most. Learn more at Protect My Public Media.
How much CPB funding does KCRW receive?
Approximately 5% of KCRW's budgeted revenue comes from the CPB, that’s about $1.3 million. That amount is calculated using a complex formula that takes into account our region's population and how much funding we’re able to raise locally from individual donors, small businesses, and organizations.
That cash value, however, is only one way that the CPB directly funds the work KCRW does. Stations across the country, like KCRW, rely on pooled resources from the CPB, including satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, the ability to license music, and the technological infrastructure that our website is built on. The estimated costs to KCRW to replace all of those pooled resources are close to $3 million.
What would happen if KCRW lost CPB funding?
Loss of CPB funding could mean:
- Reduced capacity for local and statewide journalism
- Changes to or elimination of national programming from NPR
- An increased cost in infrastructure for digital and broadcast streams
- Increased dependence on individual donations to maintain core services
What is KCRW doing to prepare for this possibility?
KCRW is preparing for this possibility on many fronts. We are planning a communications, programming, and budget strategy to ensure that, even in the face of potential federal cuts, we can continue delivering programming and news you rely on every day.
This includes prioritizing the most essential services to our listeners, identifying cost-saving measures that preserve our service, and accelerating efforts to diversify our revenue through community support, philanthropy, and strategic partnerships. Our goal is to protect the core of our mission: To serve Southern Californians with accessible, fact-based, meaningful content, regardless of the political environment in Washington.
We are developing a contingency plan for the potential loss of funding. And we're keeping our supporters and audience informed about what's going on and how you can help.
KCRW President Jennifer Ferro is also the chair of the NPR board and has insight into what NPR is doing to prepare.
Why is public broadcasting needed when we can get news and content from so many sources?
Local public media stations like KCRW provide critical information — always free of charge — to help people make informed decisions and experience the rich cultural life of the Los Angeles region.
KCRW provided resources and events for people impacted by the LA fires and connected helpers with those in need, including two virtual panels about wildfire health concerns and cleanup, a music relief hub, renter and aid resources, donation and volunteer opportunities, and how to help LA restaurants.
KCRW is a platform for so many new and iconic artists, our newsletters keep people up to date on food, music, and local stores around town.
For more information, check out KCRW’s 2024 annual report.
With the number of local journalists declining nationwide and increased division and isolation in our country, independent and nonprofit public media organizations like KCRW continue to provide a high level of service to communities. Public media abides by rigorous ethical standards to ensure our content cannot be influenced by commercial interests. In a time where anyone can post their opinion to social media, journalism grounded in rigorous fact-checking is essential to inform decisions that affect our health and safety, our finances, our democracy, and our future.
A reminder of what you can do now:
- Send a message to Congress at ProtectMyPublicMedia.org
- Tell a friend
- Learn about CPB's role in public media - Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- Donate to KCRW