PBS approves $8 million budget cut

The PBS board has approved a budget cut of 21% following the federal government’s decision to yank $500 million in funding to public broadcasting.

News of the cuts were confirmed Aug. 14, 2025, by PBS’s president and CEO Paula Kerger, in an email to member stations.

The board also approved a measure that will cut member station dues by $35 million, which ultimately cuts into its own revenue. The move appears to be an attempt to reduce the burden its stations, which are separately affected by recent legislation.

Kerger cautioned that, even with the reduction in dues and plans to increase fundraising, PBS and its stations will face “hard choices” ahead.

It was not immediately clear how the $8 million cut will affect PBS, including whether or not layoffs may be coming, but it appears likely that at least some roles will need to be eliminated.

Despite the reduction in dues, it’s also likely that PBS stations across the country will see cutbacks, whether in operational expenses, local programming or staffing. Many of these stations have traditionally generated revenue with grants, donations and underwriting deals with businesses, but those funds have been slowly drying up, meaning it may be challenging to fill in the gaps. 

$1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which handles distribution of a significant portion of that federal funding, mean that the organization will shut down in 2026. Most of CPB’s funds go to help local PBS and NPR stations, many in rural areas, stay on the air. 

Congress eliminated CPB’s funding as part of Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” earlier in 2025. 

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Public media has been a frequent target of Republicans, who claim its content is biased and even distorted. 

Proponents of cutting back federal support of the CPB, NPR and PBS also say that broader availability of programming make it unnecessary to contribute federal funding.