How the loss of federal funding affects WUNC

(Updated July 18, 2025)

On July 18, the U.S. House voted to rescind federal funding for public broadcasting, eliminating $1.1 billion nationwide and immediately stripping WUNC of $800,000 in annual support.

This is a devastating blow. This funding sustains WUNC's newsroom, supports NPR programming, and keeps us strong in moments of crisis.

We will continue to serve this community with everything we have. But the loss of these funds creates immediate and significant challenges, and the path forward will not be easy.

Your generosity has always been the backbone of WUNC. Individual donors make up the majority of our revenue, far more than any other source, and it’s your support that truly keeps this station running. Without it, we cannot sustain the depth and breadth of service you count on every day.

In this moment, we need you now more than ever. Every single gift, no matter the size, makes a real difference and helps close the gap left by this loss. Please, stand with us and help protect local news, emergency information, and the connection public media brings to our community.

Thank you for believing in the mission of WUNC and public radio. We will keep you informed every step of the way.

We've put together these frequently asked questions about how public media funding works, and what impact the absence of that funding may have on WUNC. If you have other questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at wunc@wunc.org.

What just happened? 

For a full timeline look at the section "What has happened up to this point?" below. 

On July 18, Congress approved a rescission bill, which claws back funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). It had already been funded through 2027 by Congress, but this withdraws those funds effective immediately.

Previously, both the U.S. Senate passed its version of the federal budget zeroing out funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This follows the House, which passed its own version without CPB funding earlier this year.

Earlier in May, the White House issued an executive order directing all federal agencies and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease both direct and indirect funding to NPR and PBS.

These moves have set in motion a significant shift that will likely impact every local station in the country, including WUNC. That means your support—right now—is more important than ever. WUNC, NPR, PBS, and stations across the country are now facing a direct and immediate threat to our ability to serve the public.

What can I do to help?

Local community support is our largest and most stable source of funding, and no matter how this shakes out, continuing our public service will require your ongoing support.

If you’ve already made a gift to WUNC, thank you so much! If you've not yet made your gift please consider becoming a Sustainer, with ongoing monthly donations, or make a one-time contribution today!

What will happen to WUNC with the loss CPB funding?

Approximately 5% of WUNC's budgeted revenue came from the CPB, about $800,000. That amount is calculated using a complex formula that takes into account our region's population and how much funding we are able to raise locally from donations by individuals and support from small businesses and organizations.

That cash value, however, is only one way that CPB funds have directly supported the work WUNC does. Stations across the country, like WUNC, rely on pooled resources from CPB including satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, the ability to license music, and the technological infrastructure that our website is built on. The whole network will be impacted in ways that will also impact WUNC. The estimated costs to WUNC to replace all of those pooled resources is $1.3 million.

This budget loss could result in:

• Reduced capacity for local and statewide journalism
• Changes to or elimination of national programming from NPR
• An increased cost in infrastructure for digital and broadcast
• Increased dependence on individual donations to maintain core services

Why is public broadcasting needed when we can get news and content from so many sources?

Local public media stations provide critical information — always free of charge — to help citizens make informed decisions.

Recent WUNC stories about K-12 education have helped North Carolinians understand the reasons why most school districts are losing students, coverage about proposed cuts to the EPA helped explain the potential impact on Research Triangle Park and the region's deep scientific research history. WUNC has covered immigration crackdowns and their impact on international students across the state and explained funding cuts to public universities and their impact.

During the 2024 election, WUNC reporters examined why North Carolinians voted for a Republican for president and a Democrat for governor and explained where the candidates stood on the issues North Carolinians care about.

With the number of local journalists declining nationwide and increased division and isolation in our country, independent and nonprofit public media organizations like WUNC continue to provide a high level of service to communities. Public media abides by rigorous ethical standards to ensure our content cannot be influenced by commercial interests. In a time where anyone can post their opinion to social media, journalism grounded in rigorous fact-checking is essential to inform decisions that affect our health and safety, our finances, our democracy and our future.

Why does WUNC (or any station) need federal funding?

Even though supporter and local business support makes up the bulk of WUNC's funding, federal funding — which costs an average of $1.60 per American per year — has made public media as you currently know it possible.

CPB's investment directly supports local stations across the country and enables them to provide essential programs and services. With federal funding eliminated, public media stations could be forced to cut some or all of the following:

• Signature educational content as set forth in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
• Important public safety communications during natural disasters
• Professional development and resources for teachers
• Music and cultural programming
• Local newsrooms and personnel providing information essential to the well-being of local communities

Some stations, particularly those in rural areas securing a larger percentage of their revenue from the CPB, could even be forced off the air. In many rural communities, public media stations are the only local sources of news.

Stable funding from the CPB and other sources have made it possible for WUNC to establish a strong system of local news reporting which North Carolinians can rely upon over a long period of time.

What is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)?

The CPB is distinct from both NPR and PBS. It is not a broadcaster, but an independent, nonprofit organization created by Congress in 1967 with two primary functions: To serve as a firewall between partisan politics and public broadcasting, and to help fund programming, stations and technology.

Funding for CPB has been established through the federal budget annual appropriations process two years in advance, with the intention of insulating funding from political pressures. The CPB is responsible for allocating their funds from the federal budget in any way that fulfills their mission: To ensure universal access, over-the-air and online, to high-quality content and telecommunications services that are commercial free and free of charge. 

Most CPB funding went directly to local stations so they can decide how best to program for their communities.

• Public media reaches 99% of the U.S. population and serves millions of Americans every day.
• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is an independent nonprofit that distributes federal dollars (an average of $1.60 per American annually) to local stations. That money is used to invest in programming and services according to each community's needs.
• About 5% of WUNC's annual funding comes from the CPB.
• CPB funding allows public media stations to pool resources towards satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, music licensing and development of educational programs, all of which would be too expensive for stations to do on their own.
• Cuts to federal funding would negatively impact the ability for rural stations to serve the people who need it most. Learn more at Protect My Public Media.

What has happened up to this point?

• January 29: Chair of the FCC, Brendan Carr, orders an investigation of NPR and PBS to determine if any Underwriting spots had crossed the line into prohibited commercial advertisements. Both NPR and PBS refute any wrongdoing.
• March 14: Congress passes a Continuing Resolution including CPB funding through fiscal year 2027
• March 26: NPR and PBS CEOs testify before Congress at a hearing targeting CPB funding. Watch that hearing here.
• April 14: Several outlets (here, here and here, among others) reported that the White House planned to announce its intent to submit a rescission proposal, which would claw back money which was previously appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
• April 28: President Trump asserts that he was removing three of the five board members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
• April 29: CPB sued the President saying he does not have the authority to do so.
• May 1: The White House issued an executive order directing all federal agencies and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease both direct and indirect funding to NPR and PBS.
• May 22: The House approved its version of the federal budget which zeros out funding for CPB.
• May 27: NPR and three NPR Member Stations in Colorado sue the Trump administration arguing the May 1 Executive Order is a violation of free speech protections and extends his authority beyond what is legal.
• June 3: The White House issues a rescission request to Congress clawing back funds previously appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This starts a 45 day clock during which Congress can either pass the bill (ending funding for CPB), do nothing (leaving funding to the standard Congressional budgeting process) or amend the bill (tweaking the funding in some way.)
• June 12: The House approved the rescission proposal on June 12, which means only the U.S. Senate stands in the way of roughly $1.1 billion disappearing from the public media ecosystem.
• July 1: The Senate approved its version of the federal budget that, similar to the House’s version, zeros out federal funding for CPB. The two chambers will now have to reconcile their two different versions of the budget.
• July 17: The Senate approved the rescission measure eliminating funds for CPB. Because there was an amendment to it (not CPB-funding related), it now has to be voted on again by the House.
• July 18: The House passed the final rescission measure, immediately eliminating funding for CPB. This removes $1.1 billion dollars from the public media ecosystem and $800,000 from WUNC’s budget. President Trump is expected to sign the bill in short order.
  

What you can do right now to help:

We will continue to serve this community, but this creates immediate and significant challenges. Your generosity has always been the backbone of WUNC and in this moment, we need you now more than ever.

Donate to WUNC

Please stand with us and help protect local news, emergency information, and the connection public media brings to our community.