Local public media outlets are bracing for federal funding cuts that could lead to layoffs and a reduction in services.
On May 1, President Donald Trump issued an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service. The CPB is a private nonprofit that distributes federal funding — $535 million in fiscal year 2025 — to more than 1,400 locally owned public radio and television stations.
The White House said NPR and PBS “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”
“We’re all waiting to see what actually happens,” said Minnesota Public Radio president Duchesne Drew Friday. “(CPB is) challenging (Trump’s) authority to tell them what to do, because they’re not part of the executive branch. They’re created by and funded by Congress.”
A spokesperson for Twin Cities PBS (TPT) declined an interview request, but released a statement saying the station is “closely monitoring current threats to federal funding. We remain committed to our mission to deliver trusted public affairs information, enriching children’s programming, lifesaving emergency alerts and local storytelling that reflects and connects our communities.”
Drew said that in addition to attempting to block the CPB, the Trump administration is asking Congress to cut already approved public media spending for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
“This is not about balancing the federal budget,” said NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher in a news release. “The appropriation for public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS, represents less than 0.0001% of the federal budget.” Paula Kerger, the head of PBS, said the executive order was blatantly unlawful.
MPR would lose $5 million, or about 6% of its budget, Drew said.
“That would be a direct impact on us,” he said. “Fiscal year 2026 begins Oct. 1. So it’s not tomorrow, but it’s not that far away, especially when you think about planning for the year ahead.”
MPR membership drive
Drew set a new goal of $1 million for MPR’s upcoming membership drive this week. The only time MPR has hit that figure in the past was during an extended, 14-day member drive during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.
“We’re going to have, we hope, our best week ever,” Drew said. “We’re going to try to raise more money than we’ve ever raised in a week. But the $500,000 which we’re hoping to get, or more, pales in comparison to $5 million we’re about to lose if this pushes through.”
Smaller public radio stations will be hit harder than MPR, Drew said, while adding that MPR does a lot of things.
“We run three separate stations. The news station is the second-largest newsroom in the state and has people beyond the Twin Cities,” he said. “We’re in six other communities outside the Twin Cities. So we have a lot of money, (but) we cover a lot of territory.”
“People say ‘oh, you’ll be fine, right?’ or that it’s no big deal. I think if I start closing bureaus in greater Minnesota, because the money’s not there, people will notice that and will regret that, right? So I don’t want to suggest that just because we’re bigger, that somebody else doesn’t matter or make a difference. We’re the only free statewide news organization in Minnesota, and so trying to preserve what we’ve built is really important to us.”
“As it relates to smaller stations, it’s a higher percentage of their revenue, and they have smaller footprints as well, right? So it cuts both ways,” Drew said.
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American Public Media, MPR’s parent company, also distributes content like “Marketplace,” the New York Times’ “The Daily” and BBC World Service nationally, Drew said: “So if you’re in Miami or Dallas or Albany and you hear the BBC on the radio, it’s because they have a contract with APM.”
TPT cuts
While Drew and other public media leaders wait to see what happens next, TPT has already started making cuts.
Earlier this month, TPT’s president Sylvia Strobel announced furloughs for employees who worked on the animated show “Skillsville,” which is designed to improve children’s executive functioning skills and teach them about possible careers.
A U.S. Department of Education grant funding the show wasn’t renewed, but Strobel said the station is exploring a possible appeal.
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