$1.1B cut to public broadcasting would impact WA’s public radio, local TV hard
Jul 20, 2025, 6:01 AM

A microphone and recording equipment inside a radio booth. (Photo courtesy of ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7)
(Photo courtesy of ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7)
President Donald Trump waits to sign a measure that would eliminate nearly $1.1 billion in funding put aside for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — an organization that provides federal funding for NPR, PBS, and member stations.
Ten radio stations and four public television stations fall under this umbrella in Washington. Trump’s signature is next in line after the Senate and the House, on a 216-213 vote, passed the measure through Congress, according to .
Among Trump’s reasons for pulling the funding that was cited include his belief that public media’s news programming was biased against him and fellow Republicans. He threatened GOP members of Congress with primary challenges if they didn’t fall in line.
Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and CEO, told The Associated Press that she estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may face closure in the next year.
Maher fears what the cuts might mean for the system’s journalism, not just in rural areas where local news can be hard to come by, but in telling the rest of the country what is going on there. Less funding will also mean less support for popular television and radio programming, although it’s too soon to tell which programs will be affected.
NPR stations also utilize millions of dollars in federal funding to cover music licensing fees. Now, many will have to , which could mean less music, or a more limited variety of music, on outlets where music discovery is a big part of their identity. For example, Maher estimates that some 96% of all classical music broadcast in the United States is on NPR stations.
“That is essentially taking an entire art form out of public access,” she said.
How this decision affects WA
According to , KUOW would need to make up $1.4 million to support its approximately 100-employee staff and its satellite system that distributes NPR content to its member stations.
KNKX, an NPR affiliate, faces a $600,000 shortfall if the bill passes, not including an additional $200,000 in music royalties that CPB typically covers. KNKX has served as a nonprofit public broadcaster for nearly 60 years in the state.
KDNA’s budget depends much more on CPB funding. A rural station in Yakima Valley, CPB funds account for approximately 40% of KDNA’s annual budget of $350,000. In comparison, CPB accounts for 8% and 5% of KNKX and KUOW’s annual budgets.
Northwest Public Broadcasting could lose $2 million in grants and services from CPB — roughly 20% of its annual budget, the station’s director of audience told The Seattle Times. Additionally, emergency alerts, local news reporting, educational programming, and more services provided by Washington public radio stations could be at risk of no longer being funded.
Public stations are actively trying to secure more grant underwriting, alongside public support and funding, to manage the potential financial crisis.
Contributing: The Associated Press