LOCALIZE IT: Congress may rescind $1.1B in funds for local public radio and TV stations this week

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

Trump has asked lawmakers to rescind nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents the full amount it’s due to receive during the next two budget years.

The Senate approved the package, which also includes several billion in foreign aid cuts, in the early morning hours Thursday. If the House does the same, the bill would go to Trump’s desk for his signature.

The legislation would have a tiny impact on the nation’s rising debt but could have major ramifications for the targeted spending, from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to U.S. food aid programs abroad.

The House is expected to take up the vote Thursday evening.

The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes more than two-thirds of the money to more than 1,500 locally operated public television and radio stations, with much of the remainder assigned to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System to support national programming.

The potential fallout from the cuts for local pubic media stations has generated concerns on both sides of the political aisle.

To justify the spending cuts, the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have cited certain activities they disagree with to portray a wide range of a program’s funding as wasteful, like programming aimed at fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.

The vast majority of public money for NPR and PBS goes directly to its hundreds of local stations, which operate on a combination of government funding, donations and philanthropic grants. Stations in smaller markets are particularly dependent on the public money and most threatened by the cuts of the sort Trump is proposing.

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READ AP’S LATEST COVERAGE

The House is poised to OK Trump’s $9 billion cut to public broadcasting and foreign aid

Native American radio stations at risk as Congress looks to cut $1B in public broadcasting funding

A Senate vote this week will test the popularity of DOGE spending cuts

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FIND YOUR STATE: PUBLIC STATIONS AND FUNDING

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting maintains an online interactive map that you can use to identify public television and radio stations in your state or region. Users can search the map using a variety of inputs, such as zip code and city or state. Make note of the density — or lack thereof — of stations in your state. While some areas have a large number of stations, other communities may only be served by a handful of public stations. And their dependence on public subsidies may vary.

Another interactive on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting website features funding from CBP organized by state. (The data goes back to fiscal year 2019.) You can click on a specific state and see how much money grantees in that state received for various purposes, such as educational programming. To get more granular financial information, users can then click on the button titled “View all Grants and Allocations” to see which specific stations received money, the exact financial figures, and the general purpose of funding.

Individual stations also post financial statements that include detailed information on their revenue and expenses. For instance, these documents show how much money a station received from various sources, such as memberships, and how the station spent its money. Search online for these financial statements.

NPR also has a page where you can search for local stations.

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FIND YOUR STATE: NATIVE AMERICAN RADIO STATIONS

Dozens of Native American radio stations across the country vital to tribal communities will be at risk of going off the air if Congress cuts more than $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to industry leaders.

Flagstaff, Arizona-based Native Public Media supports the network of 59 radio stations and three television stations serving tribal nations across the country.

Scroll down to the map on this page to see if stations are in your area.

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CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS

— Some small stations have reported they expect to have to close pretty immediately if the legislation goes through. Take the temperature of your local stations — what would be their next steps if the legislation goes through?

— Would any popular local programming be affected by the proposed cuts? Are there any shows that are unique or staples of the community?

— How would potential cuts to federal funding for public television and radio stations impact communities with limited access to local news, such as rural areas?

— Is your area at risk for certain natural disasters where functioning local radio could prove crucial for safety and communication? (check out AP’s previous story on this: NPR stations targeted for cuts by Trump have provided lifelines to listeners during disasters )

— How much federal money do stations in your state receive from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and what does it fund?

— Florida, Indiana, West Virginia, Kansas and New Jersey have eliminated or scaled back their contributions to public broadcasting for political or budgetary reasons. Is your state among those that have already cut funding? If not, has there been a push towards cuts in your state or perhaps a push to maintain funding?

— How many public television and radio stations are in your state or region and what types of grants do they receive from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?

— How much does your local public television or radio station rely on funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as opposed to other sources?

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EMBED THIS GRAPHIC

This AP digital embed chart shows how federal funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting were allocated to public TV and radio stations in the 2025 fiscal year. This chart is current as of May 2, 2025, and will not update. Source: Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Click for a preview.

To embed, insert this code into your CMS:

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SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE COURTS

Tracking the lawsuits against Donald Trump’s executive actions

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READ ADDITIONAL AP COVERAGE

Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR

As Trump sets his sights on public broadcasting, a decades-old institution frets about the future

Congressional Republicans target PBS and NPR funding in contentious hearing

Judge orders Trump administration to restore $12 million for pro-democracy Radio Free Europe

Trump signs order to gut staff at Voice of America and other US-funded media organizations

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Localize It is a reporting resource produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to the Local News Success team at localizeit@ap.org.

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