The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) , a cornerstone of American culture for three generations, announced Friday it would take steps toward its own closure after being defunded by Congress.
This comes after President Donald Trump's targeting of public media, stating that they spread political and cultural views antithetical to those the United States should be espousing.
With CPB shutting down, many are worried about NPR and PBS shuttering too, given that the entity helps fund both.
However, most of CPB's funds go to over 1500 local public radio and television stations around the US. So, what are the other sources of funding for PBS and NPR, and will they survive CPB's closure? Let's find out.
NPR funding sources
National Public Radio (NPR) states that it gets only 1 percent of its funding from the federal government. Member station fees make up 30 percent of its funding.
Corporate sponsorship is responsible for 36 per cent of its funding, while ‘Core and other programming fees’ make up 30 per cent. Cash and financial asset contribution is directly responsible for 13 per cent of NPR's budget, and this includes the 1 percent from federal government.
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{{/usCountry}}Corporate sponsorship is responsible for 36 per cent of its funding, while ‘Core and other programming fees’ make up 30 per cent. Cash and financial asset contribution is directly responsible for 13 per cent of NPR's budget, and this includes the 1 percent from federal government.
Also Read | Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood to end? CPB's 'orderly wind down' could affect these programs
{{/usCountry}}Other revenues make up 7 per cent, the NPR Foundation board-designated and endowment support makes up for 6 per cent, while 5 per cent of the budget comes from satellite interconnection and distribution, and 3 per cent is from return on short-term investments and net.
NPR states that it separately gets some CPB funding to manage the Public Radio Satellite System, used by various public radio content producers and stations.
PBS funding sources
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), meanwhile, gets funding from the CPB. However, it has other sources too, including member station dues, pledge drives, as well as donations from private foundations and individual citizens.
They employ a set of standards to ensure the programing then carried is free from influence from the source of funding.
(With AP inputs)