The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Is Dissolving Rather Than Be ‘Vulnerable to Additional Attacks’ from the Trump Administration

Public media took a major blow to begin the new year. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which for decades has helped fund public shows on PBS like “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” is no more.

The board for the CPB announced Monday that it was voting to dissolve after 58 years as a private, nonprofit organization. Congress last summer rescinded all of CPB’s federal funding, it faced constant political attacks, and in a statement, the president at CEO of the CPB said it would rather dissolve and protect public media than become “vulnerable to additional attacks.

“For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure that all Americans—regardless of geography, income, or background—had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling,” said Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB. “When the Administration and Congress rescinded federal funding, our Board faced a profound responsibility: CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.”

“What has happened to public media is devastating,” said Ruby Calvert, Chair of CPB’s Board of Directors. “After nearly six decades of innovative, educational public television and radio service, Congress eliminated all funding for CPB, leaving the Board with no way to continue the organization or support the public media system that depends on it. Yet, even in this moment, I am convinced that public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media’s role in our country because it is critical to our children’s education, our history, culture and democracy to do so.”

The move comes after President Trump managed to put his name and stamp on the Kennedy Center, leading to countless shows and performers cancelling their intended programming at the venue. PBS didn’t want to suffer a similar fate. The release notes that a defunded CPB “could have become vulnerable to future political manipulation or misuse” and even expose board members to legal exposure from “bad-faith actors.”

The CPB has been around since 1967 after the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act, and it has supported more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public radio and TV stations. It’s been a resource for local news operations, kids programming, and local emergency alerts. These stations aren’t immediately going anywhere, but their mission just got a whole lot harder.

As part of its closure, CPB will complete the responsible distribution of all remaining funds in accordance with Congress’ intent. CPB will also provide support to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting to continue digitizing and preserving historic content, and CPB’s own archives — dating back to the organization’s founding in 1967 — will be preserved in partnership with the University of Maryland and made accessible to the public.

“Public media remains essential to a healthy democracy,” Harrison said. “Our hope is that future leaders and generations will recognize its value, defend its independence, and continue the work of ensuring that trustworthy, educational, and community-centered media remains accessible to all Americans.”