What will happen to California public broadcasting if Trump cuts pass Congress?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Congress debates $1.1B in public media cuts, risking rural station shutdowns.
- California outlets like Jefferson Public Media face staff, program reductions.
- Public broadcasting leaders cite essential emergency coverage in remote areas.
Congress Wednesday is inching toward cutting federal money to the nation’s public broadcasting systems, and a lot of Californians will feel the pain. Especially in less populated areas.
The nonprofit radio stations could cut programming, reduce staff or fold operations if the rescission vote passes, according to Protect My Public Media, which describes itself as a group of Americans hoping to save radio and televisions.
When radios were invented, women still wore corsets and Henry Ford had not yet created his automobiles. Yet, when a historic fire ripped through Oregon in 2020, residents fleeing deadly circumstances relied on old technology to receive life-saving information when officials did not send emergency alerts, according to news reports.
Phil Westhelle, the executive director of Jefferson Public Media, said his station learned to interrupt their programming to broadcast evacuation orders in the wake of Oregon’s Almeda Fire. His station serves about 60,000 square miles from southern Oregon to Northern California counties of Shasta, Siskiyou, Lake, Modoc and Mendocino.
It took about 55 years to build roughly 60 transmitters throughout Oregon and California’s famed rocky terrain. The Golden State’s land requires additional infrastructure because signals carrying vital information cannot pierce through soaring mountains into valleys were many live, he said. Now, the near half century of work is facing severe limitations at the federal level as Congress debates a plan to rescind Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding.
“We don’t distinguish between Democrats and Republicans when people’s lives are at risk,” Westhelle said.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds make up about 15% of its $3.5 million budget, Westhelle said. The station has raised more money through fundraising drives due in part of the funding cuts and will dip into the reserves for these final months.
But in January, the station will have to reassess its programming, he said.
“I think its the wrong step,” Westhelle said, “and I think its going to have consequences that are not going to be positive for places.”
The battle in Congress
Congress has until Friday to decide whether to cut federal funding for public broadcasting. It plans to begin voting on amendments to the budget Wednesday afternoon, with a final vote likely later Wednesday or Thursday.
The Senate is divided over what to do. It moved the legislation forward Tuesday on 50-50 votes — Vice President JD Vance broke the ties — but three Republicans joined the 47 senators who caucus with the Democrats to oppose the bill.
“The excessive cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would harm local programming and the accessibility to popular programs like ‘Antiques Road Show’ and ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,’’’’ said Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Colllins, R-Maine.
“I share the frustration with the biased reporting by NPR, and I would support defunding it,” she said as she voted no. “Nevertheless, local TV and radio stations continue to provide important coverage.”
The Trump administration wants to cut a total of $9 billion nationwide in previously authorized spending. Most of the funds involve foreign aid, but there’s a $1.1 billion cut to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the private, nonprofit organization’s federal funding over the next two fiscal years.
Democrats insist that the public broadcasting system is not only a valuable source of independent reporting, but a crucial lifeline in lower-population areas.
“One of the things that allow us to be united despite our differences. It is a shared understanding and knowledge of what is going on in our communities. That is what the news is about. It is not a propaganda machine,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont.
A Democratic-led effort to stop the public broadcasting cuts Wednesday failed, 52 to 47. All Republicans except Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted to keep the reductions. Murkowski voted with the Democrats to reject them.
Republicans have been trying for decades to cut the money for public broadcasting, saying that viewers in this multi-channel cable and streaming age have a wide variety of media choices.
Capital Public Radio in Sacramento did not account for any federal funding in its budget passed for the upcoming fiscal year that began July 1. KVIE, PBS’ Ch. 6, says grants make up about 14% of its operating budget, which is separate from its total budget, said General Manager David Lowe.
There was some resistance to the cuts among rural state Republicans this week, but that appeared to fade Tuesday. If these stations are so important, some argued, then someone will step in and keep them going.
“Every one of those licenses will be bought like that by local broadcasters,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota. “It’s not a charity.”
Impact on local programming
Jefferson Public Media doesn’t try to broadcast just one type of programming with donor money and about $525,000 from federal dollars.
Residents can tune into news, classical music and contemporary music all at the station. One highly regarded program, called the Jefferson Exchange, brings together community leaders and elected officials to discuss problems facing communities and solutions, Westhelle said.
The program, he said, hopes to bridge divides between rural areas and show residents across southern Oregon and Northern California they have more in common than apart. The discussions often approach problems from a regional perspective.
“We really do ... try to weave these communities together,” Westhelle said.
The news media often has a reputation of creating sensationalism, which can attract more audiences and revenue, he said.
But Jefferson Exchange aims to create perspective, offer context and problem solve for their communities.
“In general, people value the ... civic tone of it,” he said.
In Sacramento, a similar program at KVIE hopes to also contextualize news and offer a constructive dialogue with “Studio Sacramento,” Lowe said.
There is no substitute for federal funding. Being bankrolled by taxpayers proves their programming is for all Americans, he said.
If the rescission vote passes, Congress could somehow provide some funds for public media, Lowe added. But that is uncertain.
“It’s something that we thought we never would have to do,” he said of dealing with uncertainty.
In the Bay area, KQED said in a story posted on its website that it plans to lay off 45 people. It also will lose another 12 who took voluntary departure offers. That’s a 15% drop in staff, thanks to a big budget gap and what a station statement called “mounting financial uncertainty.”
“The cuts impact every level of the organization, from top executives to custodial staff, but content-producing departments account for nearly three-quarters of them,” the station said. “KQED is disbanding its digital video team and slashing its education department, which produces media literacy curriculum, as part of a plan to sharpen its focus on local news and community events.”
It added that it got $7.6 million from CPB last year. Losing that money, it said, would likely mean using cash reserves in the short run.
Native American audiences
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, was among the most vocal Republicans to question the cuts, concerned about the impact on Native American communities.
“I was able to secure what I needed to get done with regard to tribal radio stations,” he told The Bee Tuesday.
He said funds can be transferred from an Interior Department account that will help them. Rounds estimated as many as 29 stations in 14 states would benefit.
Looming over the issue is the determined view of President Donald Trump. He’s made it clear this vote is important to him — and a no vote could mean political danger.
“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC (sic) put together,” he said on his Truth Social site last week.
“Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement,” Trump warned.
The House passed the plan last month, with all Democrats and four Republicans opposed. All nine California Republicans voted for the plan.
But it’s got to win approval from the Senate, where there’s a lot of skepticism about how or even whether to proceed. A series of votes are expected Wednesday and throughout the week.
If the cuts aren’t approved by Friday, the money can be spent.
This story was originally published July 16, 2025 at 9:23 AM.
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