Trump Administration Targets Already-Approved Public Media Funding.

Efforts targeting funding for public media have to date focused on ending future funding of NPR and PBS. But the Trump administration is reportedly taking steps to go after funding already approved for public radio and television. The New York Times reports the White House will ask Congress to claw back $1.1 billion in money already approved for the Corporation for Broadcasting which gets so-called forward funding two years in advance to help broadcasters plan ahead.

If approved, it would be a sharp turnaround for Congress which last month reached a budget deal to fund the federal government through Sept. 30 that included $535 million for CPB in the fiscal year 2027 — upholding a two-year advance appropriation for public media. It would mean that public radio and TV stations would face the loss of funding in the coming months rather than two years from now. The Times notes that the administration is not seeking a clawback of $100 million in funding that has been allocated for the Next Generation Warning System program.

The maneuver is part of what a broader plan by the White House to cancel $9.3 billion that has already been approved for several programs that it doesn’t support. Politico reports the formal request will go to Congress when lawmakers return to Washington later this month after a two-week recess.

In public surveys, federal support for NPR and PBS routinely ranks as taxpayer money “well spent.” Recent polling finds PBS to be the most trusted U.S. institution, with 63% of respondents expressing “a great deal of trust” or “some trust” in the network. The same survey found PBS to be the most trusted “news network” in the country.“Trump's views are out of step with those of the majority of Americans, who overwhelmingly support federal funding for public media,” said Free Press Action Co-CEO Jessica González. “Public polling shows that communities across the country rely on their local public radio and TV stations to provide trustworthy news reporting and a diversity of opinions. When asked, the American public indicates it wants more support for public and community media, not less.”

Several bills have already been introduced in Congress to end federal funding of public radio and television, and now there is one more. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) has reintroduced legislation that he first proposed two years ago that, if passed, would eliminate all federal funding for both National Public Radio and PBS. They include the No Partisan Radio and Partisan Broadcasting Services Act (H.R. 2443) or “No NPR and PBS Act,” which would simply prohibit funding of either network.

During a hearing with the heads of NPR and PBS last month, several Republican lawmakers said at a time when the federal government is looking to trim the deficit, it can no longer afford to give taxpayer dollars to organizations they see as supporting progressive viewpoints. They also questioned whether public media plays the same role as when funding began in the 1960s and there were limited choices on the FM and TV dials.

Separately, FCC Chair Brendan Carr has opened an investigation into whether NPR and PBS stations are violating the terms of their authorizations to operate as noncommercial educational stations by running underwriting announcements on behalf of for-profit entities.