July 17, 2025

NPR, PBS and WHYY could face cuts after Senate passes bill to slash funding for public broadcasting

The Philly member station WHYY said roughly 7% of its total revenue in the 2024 fiscal year was from the federal government.

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

Mattie Neretin/Imagn Images

The U.S. Senate voted 51-to-48 to pass legislation to scale back federal funding that had been previously allocated for public broadcasting, with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania) backing the bill.

UPDATE, July 18: Early Friday morning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that will cancel funding for public broadcasting after it made its way through the U.S. Senate on Thursday. The bill now goes to President Donald Trump's desk. The 216-213 vote saw the Republican-backed bill clear through the House with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Democratic lawmakers opposing.

The U.S. Senate approved the Trump administration's plan to scale back federal funding that had been previously allocated for public broadcasting during a marathon session that went into Thursday morning.

The $9 billion rescission package, which the House is expected to vote on later this week, would serve a major blow to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was created in 1967 and is the steward of resources for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services. If the bill is signed into law, the corporation that funds PBS, NPR and their local member stations would lose $1.1 billion that was meant for the next two years.

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The Philly affiliate WHYY, which is headquartered at 150 N. 6th St. on Independence Mall in Center City, received $3.8 million in federal funding in the 2024 fiscal year, which it said accounted for roughly 7% of its total revenue. In addition to its core newsroom, the organization serves as the home for the nationally syndicated program"Fresh Air" with Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, which has millions of listeners each week tuning in for its in-depth interviews on news and pop culture.

"Nearly 3-in-4 Americans say they rely on their public radio stations for alerts and news for their public safety," NPR CEO Katherine Maher said in a statement. "We call on the House of Representatives to reject this elimination of public media funding, which directly harms their communities and constituents, and could very well place lives at risk."

The Senate voted 51-to-48 to pass the legislation, with Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) being the only Republicans who opposed the measure. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) missed the vote because she was ill. The two U.S. senators from Pennsylvania sided with the majority of their party, with Sen. John Fetterman (D) voting against the legislation and Dave McCormick (R) backing the bill.

NPR receives about 1% of its funding from the federal government, while its more than 1,300 member stations receive about 8% to 10% of its funding from the federal government.

"This elimination of federal funding will decimate public media and put local stations at risk of going dark, cutting off service to communities that rely on them — many of which have no other access to locally controlled media," Kate Riley, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, said in a statement.

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