The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced it will dissolve after 58 years after Congress rescinded more than $1 billion in funding. CPB’s board voted to wind down the private nonprofit, concluding it could not fulfill its congressionally mandated duties without resources. Patricia Harrison said the board chose dissolution to protect public media and democratic values. CPB supported more than 1,500 local stations and helped fund programs such as Sesame Street.
After $1 Billion Cut, Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Dissolve After 58 Years
Congress passed a bill last year cutting over $1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a nonprofit organization. (Alamy file)
WASHINGTON — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit created by Congress in 1967 that helped fund NPR, PBS and more than 1,500 local radio and television stations, announced it will formally dissolve after 58 years of operation.
CPB's board of directors voted to wind down the private nonprofit, saying the organization can no longer meet its congressionally mandated responsibilities after Congress rescinded more than $1 billion in funding.
“For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure that all Americans—regardless of geography, income, or background—had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling,” said Patricia Harrison, CPB's president and CEO. “The board concluded that dissolving the organization was the best way to protect the integrity of the public media system and democratic values, rather than allowing a defunded entity to remain vulnerable.”
The organization said its leaders determined that, without sufficient resources to carry out its statutory duties, maintaining CPB as a nonfunctional entity would not serve the public interest. In August, CPB announced a wind-down plan: most staff positions were eliminated by the end of September, and a small team remained through January to wrap up operations.
Funding Cuts and Next Steps
Over the summer, the Republican-led House and Senate approved a package of spending measures that rescinded money previously allocated to CPB and other agencies, acting on a request from the Trump administration. CPB said it will distribute all remaining funds as part of its dissolution process.
Created by Congress in 1967, CPB provided financial support to more than 1,500 local radio and television stations and helped fund long-running educational programs such as Sesame Street. PBS and NPR programming have continued to air thanks to other funding sources, including member station contributions, private donations and corporate underwriting, but local stations and smaller outlets may feel the effects of CPB’s closure.
CPB’s dissolution marks a major shift in the U.S. public media landscape and raises questions about how locally focused public broadcasting and educational programming will be supported going forward.
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