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Public broadcasting giants NPR and PBS continue to receive substantial taxpayer funding despite growing concerns about their political bias. These organizations depend on federal support through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), with NPR asserting that government funding is crucial for their operations and programming.
Blaze News investigates: Sparing taxpayers from funding leftist propaganda
PBS and NPR are leftist sinkholes for taxpayer cash, but their days of federal funding might be numbered. https://t.co/mEhqZevQO6
— Maat (@Maat93489673) February 14, 2025
Recent years have seen mounting criticism of both networks’ editorial slant and coverage choices, leading to increased calls for defunding. This pressure intensified following President Donald Trump’s re-election, with his administration pushing to reduce CPB funding after previously describing NPR as fraudulent.
While NPR claims direct federal grants constitute less than 1% of its budget, the organization’s financial relationship with the government is more complex. The network receives significant revenue through member stations that depend on CPB funding, collecting over $96.1 million in programming fees in 2023. PBS, with its 330-plus member stations, receives about 16% of its funding directly from federal sources, with programs like “News Hour” drawing approximately 35% of its budget from CPB and PBS-related funding.
The debate over political bias gained new momentum when Uri Berliner, a veteran NPR editor of 25 years, publicly criticized the organization’s editorial direction. Despite describing himself as “an EV-driving, Wordle-playing, tote bag-carrying coastal elite,” Berliner exposed concerning statistics about the newsroom’s political makeup, revealing that 87% of NPR’s D.C. editors and reporters were registered Democrats, with zero Republican registrations.
“Donald Trump is a racist,” stated Katherine Maher, NPR’s current CEO, who also suggested that “our reverence for the truth might be a distraction that is getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.”
PBS has faced similar scrutiny. A Media Research Center analysis found that between June 2023 and November 2024, PBS’ “News Hour” used variations of “far right” 162 times compared to just six instances of “far left.”
Legislative efforts to address these concerns have emerged from various quarters. Representative Ronny Jackson introduced the No Partisan Radio and Partisan Broadcasting Services Act, while Senator John Kennedy proposed the No Propaganda Act to eliminate CPB funding entirely.
The situation has attracted attention from federal regulators. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr recently announced an investigation into NPR and PBS member stations’ broadcasting practices, particularly regarding potential commercial content violations. Meanwhile, congressional oversight has intensified, with both networks’ CEOs invited to explain their continued need for federal funding at an upcoming March hearing.
Neither organization responded to requests for comment about these developments, leaving questions about their future relationship with federal funding unanswered as pressure continues to mount from multiple directions.
