DOTHAN, AL (WDNews) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) reported Friday that it will start to shut down following a vote by Congress to cut off government funding for the organization. This could have an impact on public television and radio stations in the Wiregrass and nationwide.
Established by Congress in 1967, the nonprofit organization has provided money to more than 1,500 public media outlets around the country, including affiliates of PBS and NPR. These stations frequently depend on federal funding to continue operating and offering access to cultural and educational programs in rural areas, such as portions of southeast Alabama.
The ruling comes after a Senate Appropriations Committee vote that excluded the company from the most recent spending plan for the first time in over 50 years, and the ratification of a federal budget deal that cuts CPB funding by around $1.1 billion over the next two years.
Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB, stated, “We now face the difficult reality of closing our operations, despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB.”
A small transition team will be in place through January to handle any remaining responsibilities, such as music licensing and royalty agreements that many public radio stations rely on, while the majority of employees will be let go by the fiscal year’s end on September 30, according to CPB.
During a Senate committee meeting this week, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) tried to alter the bill to restore CPB funds, but she later pulled it. In earlier votes, the committee had resolved the issue, according to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
Leaders of public broadcasting say they are currently evaluating the potential effects on local stations of the withdrawal of CPB assistance. Some might have to cut back on services or look for other sources of revenue.
A nearly six-decade chapter in publicly subsidized public broadcasting comes to an end with CPB’s closing. Support for shows like All Things Considered, Mister Rogers Neighborhood, and Sesame Street is part of its heritage.
