NEW YORK (AP) – PBS affiliate KSPS in Spokane, Washington, deals with a sudden loss of federal funds and faces an extra hurdle of surprise. Many of its contributors, at one point, were almost half-lived in Canada, and they had retracted their support from anger over their desire to make President Donald Trump’s country the 51st member of the United States.
When Congress decided to eliminate the $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting this summer, it left around 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations, respectively, to understand what that means.
We have launched many emergency fund drives and are committed to responding to them. NPR and PBS networks across the country are reducing expected membership fee payments, with charity focused on the most intense hit stations taking shape. The station is not closed, but cutting of jobs and programming has already begun.
In Spokane, KSPS has always sought to maintain member contribution requests apart from public funding appeals. There’s no more. Congress has left the station as it has registered a $1.2 million hole to fill around about 18% of its budget. And the station uses it as an excuse to seek help from listeners.
“We’ve definitely seen some attrition from Canada’s members,” said Skyler Leep, interim general manager at the station.
Donation pleas exceed expectations in many parts of the country
Long doubt Liberals succumbed to public media news coverage, Republicans in Congress Responded to President Donald Trump’s wish In July, the system’s funds were removed. Public broadcasting for public broadcasting that distributes funds is Measures to shut down.
In some parts of the country, answers to pleas for aid exceed expectations. WHQR, a public radio station in Wilmington, North Carolina, raised over $200,000 in three days, filling the $174,000 hole. General Manager Kevin Crane said many are a small community that is rapidly growing with an influx of retirees, and many rely on station news to learn about their new homes.
With $525,000 left from the budget, Hawaii’s public radio has already raised $650,000 on emergency funded drives. “This is a testament that what you’re doing is essential to the community and appreciated by the community,” said President and CEO Meredith Artley. Maui’s 2023 wildfires and its aftermath were steadily covered by Hawaii’s public radio news reporters.
“The initial response from the standpoint of support for both the station and the NPR network was extraordinary,” said NPR President Katherine Maher. “People did a lot of work, from actions to voting over the phone.
Stations across the country have stories that will make them smile. He sends notes written on Crayon, a young Florida man who raised money for the Alaska Public Bureau. The usual $300 donor who joined PBS SoCal on a $100,000 check is one of the three-digit donations received by the station.
Most stations are not in areas with so many wealthy donors. Most station managers are like Jeff Hanks from PBS’s LPTV in Lakeland, Minnesota. He is amazed at where he finds $1 million to pay for something like the nighttime newscasts at his station, a major news source in central and northern Minnesota.
“These are very, very challenging times,” Hanks said. “We’re fighting as hard as we can.”
He knows that membership donations don’t make up for what they lack. Both PBS and NPR are taking steps to reduce the annual membership fees stations pay for programming and other services. With PBS, an average reduction of 15%, but poor stations are getting more. In one case, more than half of next year’s membership fees will be allowed, PBS President Paula Kerger said.
It employs poorer and more rural stations
NPR encourages donors in wealthy regions to adopt stations in poor regions. Perhaps the areas where contributors have emotional connections have adopted stations.
Public media leaders also work together A group of philanthropists The Knight and MacArthur Foundation hopes to raise approximately $50 million to support stations in the hardest hit region. Ed Ullman, president and CEO of Alaska’s Public Media, said he represents almost 20 radio and television stations in the largest state and is seeking money from the fund.
Ullman said he was supported by responses from Alaska to raise $15 million through various sources by October. The services their stations offer are free and citizens see its value.
“Our community needs us, so we’ve never been concerned about the future of public television or radio,” he said.
Still, Alaska public media has suspended its weekly public relations television program “Alaska Insight.” The future of Indie Alaska, a weekly video series that highlights life in Alaska, is also at risk.
Some stations have already made the difficult decision to cut staff. For example, 12 of KSPS’ 35 staff members have either been fired, reduced hours or reduced pay. Reep also considers future seasons of local shows like “Northwest Profiles” and “Inland Sessions” by Arts Showcase will have fewer episodes.
Similar programming decisions are also weighing at a national level. Meanwhile, like in future shows Ken Burns’ six-part miniseries With the completion of the “American Revolution” scheduled for November, PBS should consider creating a shorter season for the series, Karger said.
“We work so hard that the public doesn’t feel like there’s a change,” Karger said.
Looking for a way to share a service
While contributions have increased and “rainy day” resources have been taken, the initial impact of government actions can be minimized. But it brings concerns in its own way. It is unlikely that public media will rely on donors of equal sympathy in the future. And there’s a risk that some politicians will feel that there are politicians who will prove that public support is not necessary.
A bigger calculation might come a year from now, Karger said. “I’m a realist,” she said. “I have to believe there are some vulnerable stations that don’t make it.”
According to Andy Russell, president and CEO of PBS SoCal, the crisis forces several public agencies to work together, looking for ways to share services in areas that are not previously anticipated, including finances, management and programming. The Washington Public Bureau is meeting to see if it can get state funding.
In Los Angeles, PBS Socal shares some of the templates for fundraising appeal with other stations. Several celebrities, including Kelly Washington, Jack Black, Ziggy Marley, John Lithgow and John Legoizamo, have volunteered to film the pitch and have stations available nationwide, said Maura Daly Finney, senior vice president of membership engagement and strategy.
“We’re going to make it,” Finney said. “The system is going to be different, but we’re going to make it.”
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment on the AP. Follow him in http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
