On Monday, CPB announced that its board of directors decided to close the organization after 58 years of operation. The board said remaining open without funding could leave CPB exposed to political pressure or misuse in the future.
CPB was created under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 to support public television and radio across the United States. For decades, it helped fund local stations, educational programming, trusted news, and independent filmmakers. According to the organization, more than 70 percent of its federal funding went directly to local public media stations.
CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said the decision was made to protect the integrity of public media.
“For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure all Americans had access to trusted news and educational programming,” Harrison said. “Once Congress rescinded federal funding, our board felt it was better to dissolve than to remain defunded and vulnerable to further attacks.”
Board chair Ruby Calvert described the situation as devastating but said she believes public media will survive.
“After nearly six decades of service, Congress eliminated all funding for CPB,” Calvert said. “Even so, I believe public media is critical to our democracy and that future leaders will recognize its importance.”
The shutdown follows a decision by the Republican-led Congress in July to approve President Trump’s rescission package, which removed $1.1 billion in public broadcasting funding that had been approved for the next two years. Without that money, CPB was unable to continue operations.
The loss of funding has left the future of hundreds of public TV and radio stations uncertain. Some stations have already announced closures, while others have taken steps to cut costs. In Arkansas, several PBS stations have disaffiliated from PBS and gone independent to stay afloat.
CPB noted that in many communities—especially rural and tribal areas—public media stations are the only free source of reliable news, children’s educational programming, and local cultural content.
As it winds down, CPB is distributing its remaining funds and continuing to support the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, which preserves historic public media content. CPB’s own archives will be housed at the University of Maryland and made available to the public.
In September, the Television Academy honored CPB with its Governors Award, recognizing the organization’s long-standing contribution to American media.
“Public media remains essential to a healthy democracy,” Harrison said. “We hope future generations will defend its independence and ensure that trusted, educational media remains accessible to everyone.”
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