U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer says President Trump’s plan to claw back over $1 billion in federal funding for public radio and television stations would devastate communities.
Schumer said the GOP plan would eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports more than 1,500 locally-owned public radio and television stations including dozens in New York State.
Funds for public broadcasting supports educational initiatives, rural areas, and disaster preparedness efforts across New York State. Public TV and radio stations send emergency alerts during natural disasters, develop educational content, license music from local artists, and more. Schumer said these services are critical for New York’s communities giving the example that with more severe weather across the country, timely weather alerts can save lives. In addition, he said for children not enrolled in formal pre-school, educational programming from public television ensures they can access educational content regardless of their families’ ability to pay, and teachers use worksheets and videos in local classrooms.
In Western New York, WBFO (NPR) and BTPM, Buffalo Toronto Public Media (NPR) would lose approximately 15% of its annual budget. WBFO and BTPM stream educational shows for kids on topics including science and civics and offers how-to programming on cooking, home improvement, and more. Statewide, stations received more than $45 million through the CPB. According to NPR, the public broadcasting sector in New York supports nearly 4,000 jobs, including 1,125 direct positions, 1,271 indirect jobs through supply chain activity, and 1,321 induced jobs driven by household spending. This generated $122 million in direct labor income and added nearly $750 million to the state’s GDP. The public broadcasting sector also contributed an estimated $177.1 million in tax revenue, including $33 million in state taxes and nearly $116 million in federal taxes.
The CPB distributes nearly 70 percent of its funding directly to more than 1,500 locally-owned public radio and television stations – many of which are NPR or PBS affiliates – with the remaining going to shared infrastructure and services that benefit all public TV and radio stations. According to Northwestern University, nearly 55 million Americans have limited to no access to local news. According to PBS, 60 percent of its audience lives in rural communities, and its programming reaches more children than any of the children’s TV networks in a year. If passed, the GOP proposal would further limit access to local news for communities who depend on information from their local radio and television stations for vital information and services, devastating local communities who would get hit first and hardest.
Though historically funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been approved with bipartisan support, the House GOP last month passed legislation at President Trump’s request that would claw back more than $1 billion in bipartisan federal investments in the CPB. Trump also issued an executive order stating no money from CPB can go to NPR, PBS, or their affiliates which is currently being challenged in court. Trump’s FY 2026 budget request completely eliminates federal funding and closeout CPB.
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