Overview

• PBS’s board approved a 21% budget cut for fiscal year 2026, reduced member-station dues by $35 million and restructured payment deadlines to ease immediate financial pressure.
• NPR shifted $8 million from its operating budget into a fee-relief fund for its most vulnerable member stations.
• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will end most staff positions on September 30, 2025, with a small transition team remaining through January 2026 to close out operations.
• Smaller and rural public TV and radio outlets that depended heavily on federal grants have launched emergency fundraisers and are weighing layoffs, service reductions or permanent closures.
• Independent fact-checks have found no evidence that the administration plans to replace PBS with PragerU, debunking social-media claims of a direct programming swap.