00:00PBS is cutting its budget by 21 percent after Congress's decision to eliminate roughly $500 million in federal funds from public television and radio.
00:11The New York Times first reported on the move, citing an email sent out by the PBS CEO on Wednesday.
00:19The PBS board approved the decision, along with a reduction of $35 million in dues owed by local stations.
00:25This means PBS will now collect less revenue from its members, many of which face financial strains of their own.
00:32Federal funding cuts have also impacted NPR, which cut around $8 million from its budget as a result.
00:39But PBS is feeling a greater impact because it historically relies on more funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,
00:46which is shutting down completely because of the elimination of federal funds.
00:50PBS is also losing $23 million in funding from the Department of Education for children's programming due to the cuts.
00:58While it's unclear what the elimination of funding may mean for the future of PBS, media analysts say it will likely lead to layoffs.
01:05Many small public TV and radio stations may also have to reportedly cease operations entirely.
01:11For more unbiased updates, download the Straight Arrow News app or go to san.com.
Comments