Demand Progress

One of the top priorities of the Trump 2.0 regime was to defund and dismantle public TV and radio. And Trump’s war on public media has been devastating, culminating in the defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in July.¹

Last week, Arkansas became the first state forced to cut ties with PBS because of Congress’s drastic funding cuts.² Some public radio stations have already shut down. Educational programming, reliable news, and even lives are at risk — many in rural America rely on public radio for updates on extreme weather and emergencies.³

Congress must undo the damage it's done to public media and restore funding immediately.

Sign the petition: Urge Congress to fund public TV and radio!

Trump’s coordinated campaign to hobble reliable public news will give even greater power to the right-wing propaganda pushed by Fox News and fringe far-right outlets. As the Trump regime shuts down dissent and criticism on mainstream networks and Trump’s oligarch friends take over major broadcasters, the fight to restore public media funding is urgent.

With another government funding bill pending in Congress, PBS CEO Paula Kerger expressed hope that funding for public media could be restored.⁴

Congress must take action and preserve the public media Americans value, enjoy, and rely on.

Sign the petition: Fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting NOW!

Sources:

1. PBS News, "Trump signs bill canceling $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding,” July 24, 2025.
2. OPB, "Arkansas becoming 1st state to sever ties with PBS, effective July 1,” December 12, 2025.
3. Reveal News, "In Rural America, Public Radio Saves Lives,” November 22, 2025.
4. Deadline, "PBS CEO Paula Kerger Expresses Hope That Some Federal Public Broadcasting Funding Can Be Restored,” September 18, 2025.