Foundations to give tens of millions to save public media subject to Trump cuts

A group of nonprofits is pledging $36.5 million to public TV and radio stations

that are at risk of closing after the Trump administration and congressional Republicans

shut down the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. CPP's closure will impact 1,500 stations nationwide

including 115 that relied on the CPP for more than 30 percent of their budget

John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation, said in a statement, stations serving rural, small to mid-market and native communities, as well as documentary

ecosystems, are disproportionately impacted by the funding cuts and need intentional support

These stations are more than just broadcasters. They are critical sources of information and

connection. Republicans rescinded the funding because they believe NPR and PBS have a left-leaning

bias and no longer fulfill their public service mission. The MacArthur Foundation is one of five

pledging to make up for that loss The budget cuts have already forced stations to scale back or even eliminate teams and programming That includes local news emergency alerts and educational

content. The stations the foundations are hoping to help the most serve markets containing 43

million people. WETA, the PBS station in D.C., which produces PBS NewsHour and documentaries

like Ken Burns' The American Revolution, will lose a minimum $18 million over the next two years

As a result, the station is implementing an immediate hiring freeze and will not provide raises or cost of living adjustments to its employees

What a vice president, Mary Stewart, told S.A.N., we won't compromise on quality

We will have to make changes on scope and quantity of what we produce and offer

The station said it did not have layoffs or any other cuts to announce

But an employee at the station said they expect layoffs in October when the federal government's new fiscal year begins and the current grants expire

I'm Ray Bogan for Straight Arrow News. For more reporting, download the SAN app