Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood to end? CPB's 'orderly wind down' could affect these programs

CPB will ‘wind down’ operations following federal funding cut, threatening popular programs like Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced Friday that it will begin winding down operations after President Donald Trump signed legislation rescinding $1.1 billion in federal funding through 2027. The move has sparked concern over the future of beloved public media programs, such as Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Federal funding cuts threaten the future of programs like Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

What is the future of Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood?

The federal cut hits NPR and PBS the hardest, causing certain turbulence to PBS Kids as well. PBS Kids is a major platform for educational animation programs like Sesame Street, Arthur, and more. Axing this platform will increase consolidation of educational brands under commercial streamers like Netflix, including shows like Sesame Street, which just finalized a distribution deal, as reported by Cartoon Brew.

PBS gets about 15% of its funding from the federal government, including for shows like PBS NewsHour and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, as reported by NPR. Local PBS stations also rely on similar support.

While both Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood are not immediately ending, they could face the heat, along with many other PBS shows, due to the massive cut in the federal funding for CPB.

CPB President and CEO issues statement amid federal cuts

Patricia Harrison, who is the CPB President and CEO, said in a statement, “Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations.” She assured that CPB will continue to be "committed to fulfilling responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care."

Harrison added, “Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country.”