The Corporation for Public Broadcasting dismissed President Trump’s executive order to ax taxpayer funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) — arguing they aren’t under the White House’s thumb.
“CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s authority,” the corporation’s president, Patricia Harrison, said in a statement Friday.
“Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.”
“In creating CPB, Congress expressly forbade ‘any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over educational television or radio broadcasting, or over [CPB] or any of its grantees or contractors…’ 47 U.S.C. § 398(c),” she added.
Trump signed an executive order late Thursday that aims to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR, alleging “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.
The White House, in a social media post announcing the order, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news’.”
PBS and NPR both receive partial funding via CPB, which Trump has argued is unnecessary in the current media environment.
“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence,” Trump wrote in the sweeping order.
“The CPB Board shall cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my Administration’s policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage,” he continued.
“The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding.”
The order also aims to suspend indirect government funding of NPR and PBS by asking the CPB to ensure “that licensees and permittees of public radio and television stations, as well as any other recipients of CPB funds, do not use federal funds for NPR and PBS.”
The president, who has previously called for the defunding of the two media services, gave CPB until June 30 to enforce his directive.
The nonprofit corporation is set to receive $535 million in congressionally appropriated funds in fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
Last month, The Post reported that White House budget director Russ Vought had drafted a so-called “recissions” plan to claw back that $1.1 billion. Once that plan is transmitted to Congress, lawmakers would have 45 days to accept or reject it. The plan only needs a simple majority for approval.
The CPB, which was created by Congress in 1967 and provides funding for more than 1,500 locally managed public radio and TV stations, sued the White House on Monday after Trump sought to fire three of its five board members.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the CPB planned to take further legal action in the wake of Trump’s new executive order.
The CPB did not immediately return a request for comment.
NPR and PBS both have diverse revenue streams, including major foundation grants, advertising and voluntary viewer and listener donations, meaning that neither is likely to cease operations if they lose federal support.
