REGIONAL— The effect of deep cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB, would ripple noticeably across the airwaves of northeastern Minnesota.
Radio stations in places like Grand Rapids, Nett Lake, and Grand Marais, as well as Duluth’s PBS television affiliate WDSE, would be among the hardest hit depending on decisions made in Congress, the White House, and even the courts.
While much media attention has focused on the impact of the cuts to National Public Radio and PBS, neither national entity is as dependent on the CPB as are the small, often rural, stations that use federal funds to purchase the nationally produced programming and cover other operational expenses.
“The NPRs and PBSs are going to be fine,” said Sarah Bignall, station manager for KAXE/KBXE, one of the flagship community-based public broadcasters in Minnesota. “It’s the cuts to the small rural stations that could be devastating.”
That includes stations like Bois Forte’s KBFT, where CPB funds in various forms can make up 40-50 percent of a station’s budget. “We could lose many of these stations,” said Bignall, who called them “lifelines” for the residents they serve. “We are the last true independent media outlets that exist,” she said.
While the CPB has faced threats of funding cuts during previous Republican administrations, the latest is coming at a time when the bipartisan basis of support for public broadcasting appears to be breaking down. “The stakes are really high and the risks are very real,” said Katie Belanger, development director at WTIP radio in Grand Marais.
Public broadcasters face three potential threats, including the May 1 executive order by President Trump in which he directs the CPB to end funding to both NPR and PBS for news reporting he claims is ideologically biased.
CPB officials have, so far, ignored the president’s order, arguing that he lacks authority to direct the independent organization how its funding should be spent. While publicly funded, the CPB is governed by an independent board of directors, appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to six-year terms of office. The entity was established in that way precisely to protect it from the kind of political manipulation and pressure that President Trump is seeking to apply to the CPB.
While Trump’s order may have little impact in the end, the CPB faces more serious threats from efforts in Congress to slash or eliminate funding that’s already been approved. That includes a proposal to rescind previously approved and allocated funds as well as eliminating future funding for public broadcasting through a reconciliation process.
Congress typically provides CPB its funding in advance, in two-year cycles, and the corporation is currently fully funded through Sept. 30, 2027, at about $535 million annually.
The impact of the proposed cuts would be negligible to NPR, which receives about one percent of its budget directly from the government. But it could lose funding it currently receives from member stations for its national news programming, like “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition,” along with music offerings such as “The World Café” and “Mountain Stage.”
While all public stations would feel the effects of a major cut or the elimination of CPB funding altogether, some would be hit harder than others. KAXE, founded back in the 1970s, would face challenges but would likely remain on the air. The station is now well-established and enjoys a broad base of revenue streams, including considerable member and business support and major grants from the Blandin Foundation as well as state sources. Over the last three years, Bignall said the station has managed to reduce its reliance on CPB funding from 25 percent of its budget three years ago, to 12 percent today, helping to insulate the station from the current situation in Washington.
But KAXE is the exception, not the rule.
At WTIP, Belanger said the proposals currently under consideration in Congress would be “devastating” to the station’s operations. “Based on the recission package we’re hearing about, we would stand to lose approximately $170,000 from our 2025 budget and $238,000 for next fiscal year.” That amounts to a 25 percent cut. “We could probably remain open but things would have to change,” said Belanger. The station, founded in 1998, could eliminate its national offerings, but it isn’t clear if filling that airtime with other locally produced programming would be possible or provide a cost savings. While the station does rely on volunteers for about 40 hours of music programming weekly, the station also employs professional staff that cover the news in and around Cook County. The station covers local government meetings, reports on important local issues, conducts interviews with local officials and candidates, and provides emergency alerts. It’s become an information mainstay on the North Shore.
“Right now, we’re trying to figure out how to keep the doors open and people employed if this all happens,” Belanger said. That includes looking at alternative fundraising options and urging listeners to let their voices be heard with members of Congress.
PBS in the North Country
Public radio stations are the only broadcasters following the developments in Washington with grim interest. “We know that federal support is vital,” said Patty Mester, president and general manager at WDSE in Duluth. “Without it, public media’s footprint could shrink dramatically.”
Mester said she plans a detailed sit down interview with Julie Zellner, who recently retired from WDSE’s Almanac North, to discuss the impact of the potential cuts to WDSE and its programming. That interview is scheduled to air on May 21.
Mester, in her interview with the Timberjay, did take issue with the claims of bias leveled by President Trump. “If you look at our public affairs programming, it operates under a strict code of conduct. We have long given voice to all sides,” she said.
And she noted that much of the programming that airs on WDSE is educational, aimed at children. The PBS Kids programming, in particular, is aimed at young children, many of whom live in rural areas, who don’t have the benefit of preschool. “Children who engage with PBS Kids test 8-10 points higher than those who don’t,” said Mester. “Where is the bias in that?”