Public media stations across the country are anxiously watching the White House as they continue to hear that the current administration is planning to ask Congress to eliminate previously approved federal funding for public media.
In March, the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee held a hearing that called on leaders from NPR and PBS to answer questions about their networks’ news coverage. The panel alleged the networks demonstrated political bias in their reporting.
When asked about the upcoming hearing at a White House meeting, President Trump expressed sentiments that he would like to see federal funding removed from NPR and PBS. So far, the administration has not published a call for this removal, but a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NPR that a memo outlining this intent has been drafted and will be sent to Congress when it returns from recess on Monday, April 28.
Formal transmission of the request would start a 45-day countdown for Congress to review and vote on the proposal. If lawmakers fail to approve it – or can’t get the votes to pass it – the funding will be restored.
In response to news that a formal proposal could soon be on its way to Congress, public media stations across the country have started a grassroots effort to rally supporters. Their message: public media serves an important role in communities across the nation.
Public media funding represents .01 percent of the federal budget, about $1.60 per person each year. Yet, public radio and television stations serve nearly 99% of the United States, including the most remote communities, at no cost to residents.
Research shows that Americans strongly support federal funding for public media, including a recent YouGov poll and a study by Pew Research Center. Additionally, much of the work of local public media stations, goes far beyond the television and radio broadcasts.
This is especially true for WHRO Public Media, the only public media station in the country owned by a collaboration of local school divisions. Starting as “Home Room One,” with a teacher instructing students through a TV in a classroom, WHRO has spent decades building more than a media presence—it has built a mission.
For more than 60 years, WHRO has proudly served the families of Eastern Virginia, offering community-based programming and services that can’t be found elsewhere, including:
- Locally-curated arts and music programs, including classical, jazz, rock, blues, and coverage of local performances.
- Student access to 30+ online high school courses, plus competitions like the Great Computer Challenge and the TowneBank Spelling Bee.
- Training sessions for Virginia educators covering the latest in tech, socia and emotional learning, and pedagogy.
- 24/7 access to WHRO KIDS on TV and streaming, plus in-person camps, STEM and literacy vans, and hands-on events.
- Community conversations on today’s most pressing topics—education, public safety, the environment—where neighbors can listen, learn, and share perspectives.
- Lifesaving, geo-targeted public safety communications, ranging from early earthquake warnings to Amber Alerts to presidential messages to the American people in times of national emergencies.
WHRO believes in the power of public media to unite communities, support families, celebrate our local history and culture, and deliver essential information when you need it most. We know you value this, too, and we want to continue providing the best of public media to you.
This is the most severe threat public media has ever faced, but we have a powerful ally: you and the community members who value and support WHRO.
The most crucial step you can take to protect your local public media service is to tell Congress that you support WHRO and federal funding for public media. Be a champion of WHRO today - visit ProtectMyPublicMedia.org to make your voice heard.
This article was published by WHRO Marketing. WHRO News staff did not contribute to this article.