The chief executive of 黑料吃瓜网 says he鈥檚 鈥渄eeply disappointed鈥� that Congress has approved a rescission package that will eliminate about $1 billion in federal funding for local public media stations across the country.
黑料吃瓜网, which provides both NPR and PBS programming, gets about $2 million each year in federal funds via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That鈥檚 about 10% of its budget.
鈥淭his funding has long supported our mission to inform, educate, and inspire, and its removal presents a serious challenge,鈥� president and CEO Mark Contreras said in a statement issued Friday. 鈥淗owever, this is not the end of the story 鈥� and we are not standing still.鈥�
His statement focused on efforts to grow revenue and boost fundraising efforts. It did not mention plans for cutbacks.
Contreras says the organization has plans to launch additional fundraising campaigns focused on growing monthly donor support. 黑料吃瓜网 says it鈥檚 also exploring ways to broaden philanthropic investment and deepen community partnerships.
鈥淲e remain committed to protecting the work, the people, and the impact that define 黑料吃瓜网,鈥� Contreras said. 鈥淥ur audience can count on us to continue providing the trusted content and essential services they rely on 鈥� and we will be calling on that audience to help shape a stronger, more community-powered future.鈥�
In public forms issued to the IRS, 黑料吃瓜网 reported an increase in revenues in the 鈥� $25.1 million, up from about $23 million the year prior. The company has also been working to reduce its deficit 鈥� $2.8 million in 2024, down from nearly $4 million the year prior.
黑料吃瓜网 in June 2024 laid off 4% of its staff, noting that expenses were growing "at rates that have exceeded revenues for the last few years." Across the country, local public media stations have laid off staff in recent years, including in Boston, in Chicago and in San Francisco.
CT鈥檚 congressional delegation reacts
Both the Republican-controlled U.S. House and Senate have voted to approve the rescission package, which includes $9 billion in funds that Congress had previously approved. Most of the funding is for foreign aid efforts. The bill heads to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Some Republicans in Congress say the cuts are necessary to rein in federal spending. Some conservatives accuse public media 鈥� and NPR in particular 鈥� of left-wing political bias. NPR leaders deny those claims.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, voted against the rescission package, but told Maine Public earlier this month that NPR has a
"NPR should be providing the kind of neutral coverage that Maine Public, for the most part, does provide," Collins said.
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 all-Democratic congressional delegation blasted Republicans for voting in favor of the rescission.
U.S. Rep John Larson said Republicans were 鈥渞ubberstamping the president鈥檚 petty attack on public broadcasting.鈥�
鈥淩epublicans in Congress are bending to the will of their 鈥榥arcissistic nihilist鈥� president who has directed his ire at PBS and NPR because they refuse to toe the Trump line,鈥� Larson said in a statement. 鈥淚t is unconscionable for Republicans to renege on our commitment to global health and education.鈥�
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he's "especially angry" about the cuts made to public broadcasting, saying they will be devastating to local stations. He called the claw back effort an 鈥渁ct of cowardice.鈥�
鈥淓verything about this bill reeks of cruelty, from cutting off educational television to letting children starve,鈥� Blumenthal said in a statement issued Thursday. 鈥淩epublicans are killing Elmo and canceling local emergency alerts because they鈥檙e too thin-skinned to handle a couple of tough questions from the free and independent press. It鈥檚 pathetic and it鈥檚 harmful.鈥�
Networks, other stations react
PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger said in a that the rescission will be 鈥渆specially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas.鈥�
鈥淢any of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead,鈥� she said.
Kerger continued: 鈥淭here is nothing more American than PBS. ... We are determined to keep fighting to preserve the essential services we provide to the American public.鈥�
NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher that the vote to approve the rescission is 鈥渁n unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions, and an act of Congress that disregards the public will.鈥�
鈥淭his will be an irreversible loss,鈥� Maher said. 鈥淚f a station doesn't survive this sudden turn by Congress, a vital stitch in our American fabric will be gone for good."
In Boston, GBH president and CEO Susan Goldberg called the rescission a GBH provides programming for PBS stations, including 鈥淣OVA,鈥� 鈥淔rontline鈥� and 鈥淎ntiques Roadshow.鈥�
鈥淪ometimes hard times push innovation, and people can find in adversity the determination to speed along some of the innovation that needed to happen all along,鈥� Goldberg .
She continued: 鈥淲e really need to consider everything 鈥� what we鈥檙e making, how we鈥檙e making it, how frequently we鈥檙e making it, and what platforms we鈥檙e making it for.鈥�
Learn more
Read the full statement issued by 黑料吃瓜网.
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Eric Aasen contributed to this report. 黑料吃瓜网 executives had no oversight or reviewed the story before it was published.
