Late on Thursday night (the first day of Public Media Giving Days), President Trump signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors to "cease federal funding for NPR and PBS."
The order also orders the CPB Board to cease "indirect funding to NPR and PBS, including by ensuring that licensees and permittees of public radio and television stations, as well as any other recipients of CPB funds, do not use Federal funds for NPR and PBS."
Federal funding for public broadcasting is appropriated by Congress, and distributed to more than 1,300 locally and independently managed stations across the country — including KCUR and Classical KC.
Congress allocated $535 million for the CPB for the current fiscal year. This amount was affirmed in a stop-gap bill passed by the Republican-controlled U.S. House and Senate in March.
It is not yet clear what impact this executive order may have on KCUR and Classical KC.
As reported by NPR, the executive order may be challenged in court.
The CPB published a statement Friday morning regarding the executive order. “CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s authority. Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.
“In creating CPB, Congress expressly forbade ‘any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over educational television or radio broadcasting, or over [CPB] or any of its grantees or contractors.'"
You can read more about how federal funding for public media works here, plus information on how KCUR and Classical KC are supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
"We will vigorously defend our right to provide essential news, information and life-saving services to the American public," NPR said in a statement Friday morning. "We will challenge this Executive Order using all means available."
KCUR and Classical KC's General Manager, Sarah Morris, is a member of the NPR Board of Directors.
"While it is not yet known what direct impacts this order may have on NPR and PBS affiliates, it is clear that the threat to public media remains," Sarah said. "I am grateful to the hundreds of people who stood up for KCUR and Classical KC on the first day of Public Media Giving Days."
"As we have said and will continue to say: no matter what happens in D.C., KCUR and Classical KC are here for the Kansas City region, thanks to strong support from our community."
Updates will be posted as additional information becomes available.
What can Classical KC supporters do right now?
Here are four easy ways you can help.
- Sign up for email alerts from KCUR so you never miss an update. You can do that here.
- Receive Classical KC updates via our monthly newsletter Take Note. You can do that here.
- Spread the word. Forward this page or email above to someone who values independent local news and music programming.
- Speak up via Protect My Public Media, the nonprofit public media advocacy organization.
- Support KCUR or Classical KC directly by making a donation.
Thank you for standing for public media when it matters most.
