John,
It’s official.
After Trump and MAGA slashed nearly all funding for public broadcasting, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has announced that it is shutting down operations immediately.
According to news reports, most staff will be laid off by September 30, with a small transition team remaining through early 2026 to close out final contracts.
This marks the end of nearly 60 years of federal support for public radio, TV, and local broadcasting—especially in rural and underserved communities.
The implications are enormous.
More than 1,500 local stations rely on CPB funding for everything from emergency alerts to community bulletins to culturally responsive programming. Many receive more than 25%—and in some cases over 70%—of their budgets from CPB grants.
Without that support, many stations could cut services, slash programming, or go dark entirely.
COURIER Newsroom is fighting back by building the country’s largest network of values-driven, locally focused newsrooms—supported by grassroots donors like you.
Now that public broadcasting has been gutted, Project 2025 outlines what comes next: Trump and MAGA allies could repurpose shuttered local broadcasting frequencies—turning them into far-right propaganda outlets by funding only stations that agree to air content favorable to Donald Trump.
We’ve already seen this plan in action. Trump administration advisor Kari Lake helped to replace international news coverage at Voice of America with propaganda from the far-right One America News.
That’s why COURIER exists—and why your support matters now more than ever.
We’re one of the only progressive media networks still expanding, with trusted local newsrooms operating in states where public broadcasting will be hardest hit. We don’t answer to billionaires or sponsors—we answer to the people. And we show up where MAGA propaganda spreads fastest.
If you believe in protecting access to fact-based journalism, now’s the time to act while there's still time.
Please chip in $25—or whatever you can—to help fund this urgent work.
We know what happens when public service media disappears. It’s not just the news that vanishes—it’s community, connection, and democracy itself.
That’s why we’re fighting to keep local journalism alive. Thanks for being part of this fight.
In solidarity,
The COURIER Team