The U.S. House this week is expected to take up a proposal from President Trump to claw back federal funding for public broadcasting — an action that would directly threaten Kansas City’s noncommercial music services, including 91.9 Classical KC, KCUR 89.3, 90.1 KKFI and 90.9 The Bridge.
Last Tuesday, the president formally requested that Congress rescind $1.1 billion in federal subsidies for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which lawmakers had already approved earlier this year.
That request set off a 45-day timer for Congress to act, and the U.S. House could vote as early as this week.
Here's what's at stake, and what you can do to help.
Music and the arts permeate almost every aspect of public media
From shows dedicated to music discovery and local artists to live on-air performances and concert calendars, public media provides access to music genres and artists that are often ignored by commercial media.
Additionally, the CPB represents the public media system to music rights organizations in negotiating blanket music licenses for noncommercial uses of music. With a portion of the federal appropriation, CPB also pays those licensing fees for all eligible public media stations.
Kansas City’s noncommercial stations provide critical pipelines for new, local artists and music to be discovered, with many artists attributing their success to their start on public radio stations.
We also bolster local arts economies by forging partnerships with local arts organizations and performance venues, creating opportunities for the community to engage with them.
On KCUR, you enjoy music discovery from programs like The Fish Fry, Night Tides, The Session with Hermon Mehari, as well as across an array of programming from NPR. KCUR's Up To Date features local artists on KC Soundcheck, providing a spotlight for musicians on the rise, such as Hembree, Sandbox Percussion and Paris Williams.
And KCUR's Generation Listen's Live + Local performance series showcases local artists auditioning to be a part of NPR's annual Tiny Desk Concert. This year's Live + Local series is a partnership with The Bridge and the Kansas City Public Library.
On Classical KC, the entire 24-hour schedule is dedicated to classical music discovery, with local, national and international performances. The weekly show From the Archives is hosted by Kansas City's Frank Byrne, offering a curated tour of the world’s greatest composers, conductors and performers, captured in distinctive and memorable audio recordings.
Classical KC's free Take Note newsletter features local musicians, ensembles and guest performers from concert halls across the region. Classical KC also provides a weekly concert recommendations email and partners with ArtsKC to provide a free community calendar of upcoming classical events in the metro.
Without federal funding for the CPB and CPB’s management of these music rights, public radio stations would face a diminished capacity to deliver the quality and variety of music you rely on, both on the radio and through our streaming platforms
It would be cost-prohibitive and burdensome for individual stations to negotiate the same licenses and fees on their own. The loss of CPB’s role in securing music licenses would truly be an existential threat for noncommercial public media.
Further, all archival stories, artist profiles and interviews or programs that use music will have to be removed from websites. The cost of compliance to review every archived story on a website or app to clear the rights again would be enormously burdensome, and, in most cases, prohibitive.
CPB is an efficient investment
Funding for public broadcasting has enjoyed wide bipartisan support from both Congress and listeners since 1975, with the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Financing Act.
Public media remains a bargain for taxpayers, at just $1.60 per person annually. That money is provided to the CPB to be distributed in part to local stations, including KCUR and Classical KC.
Today, CPB-funded public media reaches nearly 99% of the U.S. population. Every $1 of federal funding allocated to that programming generates $8 from local sources — a strong return on the nation’s investment.
What you can do right now to support Kansas City's music scene
Here are four easy ways you can help:
- Sign up for email alerts so you never miss an update. You can do that below, or click here.
- Spread the word. Forward this page to someone who values independent local noncommercial radio.
- Speak up via Protect My Public Media, the nonprofit public media advocacy organization.
- Support KCUR or Classical KC directly by making a donation.
And if you're already a member, thank you for standing for noncommercial public media when it matters most.
