NPR affiliate says listeners helping to fill funding gap

With $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) taken away by President Donald Trump and the United States Congress, the 58-year-old nonpartisan nonprofit announced Friday it would cease operations as of Sept. 30.

The president claimed that CPB, which channels funds to National Public Radio (NPR), the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and hundreds of locally-originating public media stations across the country, was left-leaning.

“NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in April, calling the organization “A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE.”

WUSF, the Tampa-based affiliate for NPR, reported record listener donations in the wake of the funding removal announcement. The station received more than $245,000 in new financial commitments for both WUSF and its sister station to WSMR, the only 24/7 classical music station in Florida.

WUSF broadcasts the popular NPR programs All Things Considered and Morning Edition, as well as the regional news program Florida Matters. The station also employs a staff of journalists to cover local, regional and statewide news.

“We are grateful and honored to see our listeners respond with their direct financial support of our mission,” said JoAnn Urofsky, WUSF general manager, in a prepared statement. The station received commitments from nearly 1,200 donors, with more than 400 supporters signing up to be regular, monthly contributors.

“This support,” said Urofsky, “is especially meaningful as we prepare our team of reporters, staff, systems and equipment to ensure our community has the information they need before, during and after this year’s hurricane season.”

She announced the launch of  a dedicated “Resilience Fund,” to be incorporated into future fundraising drives and solely dedicated to sustaining the mission of WUSF and WSMR as “community assets and community broadcasters.”

“The absence of future funding eliminates CPB’s ability to fulfill our statutory mission – providing support to nearly 1,500 local public media stations and making needed investments that help stations serve their communities,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in announcing the organization’s closure.

While NPR and PBS generate nearly all their own revenue and don’t rely directly on federal money, CPB grants account for 25 percent or more of a station’s total budget in smaller or rural markets.

The rest comes from philanthropic or corporate underwriting and private donations.

PBS receives about 15 percent of its annual budget from CPB funds. “These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas,” PBS CEO and President Paula Kerger told TIME.

“Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.”

WUSF and the St. Pete Catalyst are media partners.