The White House is planning Ask Congress to return more than one billion dollars in the public broadcasting in the United States, according to two people who have been informed of the plan, a step that can eventually eliminate almost all federal support for NPR and PBS.
One of the persons supported by the taxpayer who finances public media organizations throughout the United States said that the plan aims to request the abolition of Congress of $ 1.1 billion of federal funding for the public broadcasting institution, a company supported by the taxpayer that funds public media organizations throughout the United States. If Congress agrees, this will reach about two years of financing the organization, and almost all of this goes to public broadcasters including NPR, PBS and local member stations. The Trump administration does not plan to demand Congress to re -allocate about $ 100 million to emergency communications.
Government money is a small part of NPR and PBS budgets, which also generate revenues through care and donations. Most government funding goes to local stations, which depend on it Funding their news rooms And pay for programming.
The two people said that the proposal will come as part of a wider cancellation package, an official request to Congress to cancel the previously approved funds, which will also cancel the billions designated for external assistance. The process was established under the law, which is granted the House of Representatives and the Senate 45 days to vote for approval of the request after submitting it. The people said that the White House is planning to submit this cancellation request in the coming weeks. If Congress does not approve the cancellation request, the White House must spend the money as the one in the first place.
The Trump administration’s proposal is accused of removing public broadcasting amid constant pressure on NPR and PBS from Republican in Congress, who have intensified long -term attacks on broadcasters. The CEO of both organizations in front of Congress witnessed last month in A fiery hearing This is what he played along partisan lines mostly: Republicans attacked the executives of what they saw as a liberal bias, and the Democrats argued that the procedure was a waste of time.
ASK will also be the last step by the Trump administration to put pressure on media organizations. Management Launch a legal battle With the Associated Press Agency about its decision to exclude the wired service from the presidential journalism group, and break contracts from the precedents. Mr. Trump personally sues CBS news and De Moin RegisterThe Federal Communications Committee launched investigations into Pomand PBS and NPR.
Public broadcasting company spokesman, PBS and NPR, refused to comment.
The Public Broadcasting Corporation “funded forward” two years to isolate it from the political maneuver, and a large part of the 2025 funds have already been paid to the public broadcasters in the United States, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Executive officials in the public media are planning to obtain general financing that has been declining for several months. According to a document prepared by the station’s managers last fall, the immediate judiciary of financing, although it is unlikely, is “closer to the amazing asteroid without warning.”
The document said: “It is the scenario of the highest risk, while the ecosystem of the media changes quickly,” the document said.
Public media defenders say the rural fans will reach the most difficult if the financing is cut from NPR and PBS stations. In very remote areas without reaching the wide range, radio and public television is one of the few sources of news and entertainment available.
But those who support Defunding say that progress in technology has made these services outdated. in Last month interviewActress Margori Taylor Green, the Republican in Georgia, said that the population in the rural parts in her area had enough access to the mobile phone and the Internet to keep them aware.
“The bottom line here: NPR and PBS only have to blame,” said Mike Gonzalez, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation who publicly argued to repair public media. “Over the past fifty years, every Republican president has tried to empty or repair them.”
In 2011, NPR executive officials produced Secret report This explores what will happen if government financing is eliminated. According to the report, up to 18 percent of about 1,000 member stations throughout the United States will close, and will disappear 240 million dollars from the public radio. The stations in the Middle West, the south and the west will be more affected, and nearly 30 percent of listeners will lose access to NPR programming.
One of the potential upward trend, according to the document: Federal financing would swear by the public radio supporters, which leads to a sudden increase in donations to stations throughout the United States.
Maggie Haberman The reports contributed.
