President Donald Trump has long declared his enmity for public broadcasting. Deploying what he sees as the power of the federal purse, he has launched a multi-front battle against the business.
The targets are the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and, by extension, PBS television network, NPR and 1,500 broadcast outlets across the country, including Chicago’s WBEZ and WTTW. Chicago Public Media owns WBEZ and the Sun-Times.
Opposing views on the issue could not be more clear. Trump’s White House, in announcing his executive order to end federal subsidies for public broadcasting, accused the stations of passing “radical, woke propaganda” as news, a practice it called “madness.” His order said a fragmented media landscape makes the subsidies obsolete.
Paula Kerger, head of PBS, called Trump’s action “blatantly unlawful” and said she’s ready for a fight. She’s previously told Congress, “There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress.”
But from one member of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., came this rejoinder, “We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime.”
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin described Trump’s executive order as “dangerous.”
“As a democracy, we pride ourselves on having a strong freedom of the press. With President Trump’s executive order, we will only backslide. This is dangerous and I implore my Republican colleagues to act to reverse the President’s course — our democracy depends on it,” Durbin said in a statement.
It’s a controversy still raging from the West Wing to the Capitol. Here’s what it could mean for Illinois.
What does Trump’s order say?
It instructs CPB to cease existing and future funding for NPR and PBS because of partiality. “Which viewpoints NPR and PBS promote does not matter,” the order says. “What does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.”
An accompanying statement from the White House cites a litany of broadcasts it deems objectionable, including some it said promoted sexual deviance and anti-American attitudes. It said one NPR story spoke positively about cannibalism.
Is the order legal?
As with many things in the Trump administration, this question appears headed for the courts.
“CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s authority,” said its CEO, Patricia Harrison. “Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.” She noted the law bars any federal agency or officer from controlling “educational television or radio broadcasts.”
The Trump administration counters the CPB must be nonpolitical and no form of media has a constitutional right to public money.
Separately, CPB has sued Trump for firing three of its five board members, appointees of former President Joe Biden and serving six-year terms. The suit says they cannot be arbitrarily removed.
Who has the big money at stake?
CPB may be independent, but it passes around about $525 million a year in federal funds. Shutting off the spigot would have an unequal effect on organizations down the line.
For example, PBS needs the money for about 15% of operations. NPR gets about 1% from the government, but some member stations get their own allocations.
In most cases, stations CPB supports get the biggest share of funds from audience contributions, philanthropy and corporate underwriting.
What about the local stations?
At WBEZ, a federal allocation of about $1.5 million annually accounts for less than 5% of the revenue.
Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, said the organization is still examining changes it may need to make if funding ends.
“I do believe it’s incredibly important for public broadcasting to have some level of governmental support” for programming tied to both news and education, Bell said. She said unlike WBEZ, many public radio stations serve rural locales and may be the only viable source of coverage in “news deserts.”
According to data collected by Heather Norman, president of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council, TV station WTTW gets an annual federal outlay of about $3.7 million, or 11% of its budget.
“WTTW will continue to monitor, plan and focus on the important work we do in service of the public and our local community,” said a station spokesperson, who called Trump’s order sweeping and a threat to PBS’ mission.
Norman said many downstate outlets rely more heavily on federal money. Among them, based on her data, are WQPT TV in Moline and WEIU TV in Charleston, with federal shares of 50% or more.
These stations also divvy up about $1.6 million from the state, an amount the council would like to see raised. But it’s a tough request for what analysts say is a cash-strapped budget year with other interest groups that have hands out.
Does this affect the Sun-Times?
The Sun-Times is a separate nonprofit under Chicago Public Media and receives no federal money. But difficult finances at the parent organization could have a spillover effect. To help deal with a fiscal cliff, the Sun-Times in March lost 20% of its staff to buyouts.
How will Congress handle this?
It’s a good question that speaks to something else Trump could try. He could take his executive order a step further and ask for a rescission, a request to cancel appropriations already approved.
“The Congress has 45 days to consider — or ignore — the president’s request,” said the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. “If the Congress votes to approve the request or any portion thereof, the spending is canceled. If not, the president must spend the money.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, during a public event Wednesday, was asked about public broadcasting and did not directly sign on to a funding cutoff. But he said the debate will be healthy.
“And I mean, that’s what the free market is about, and we have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, recognizing, again, the thing that governs most of the decisions we make is the concern about the financial structure of our house, so to speak, of our country and we we’ve got to spend wisely,” Johnson said.
What will these stations do to fight Trump?
By law, these are nonprofits that are banned from lobbying. However, they can make their case in congressional testimony. They also are using the controversy in fundraising appeals. Supporters of their cause have formed a group, Protect My Public Media, to get people to contact lawmakers.
“They need to tell their stories. They need to be loud about it and in people’s faces,” said lobbyist Liz Brown-Reeves, who has made the case for public media support in the Illinois General Assembly.
What about the bias complaints?
The answer is somewhere in the eyes of the audience. Conservatives traditionally complain about public media’s alternative viewpoints. Supporters say commercial broadcasting is ill-suited for diversity of opinions.
In WBEZ’s case, Bell said the staff constantly evaluates its coverage. “I feel strongly about how talented our staff is and about the reporting they produce,” she said.