CPB leaders react to House hearing, federal funding threat
Dru Sefton / Current
CPB leaders spoke publicly Tuesday about last week’s congressional hearing on public media and described the challenges facing efforts to preserve CPB’s federal funding.
The March 26 hearing, dubbed “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the heads of NPR and PBS Accountable,” ended with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), chair of the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, calling for CPB to be defunded and dismantled.
Three public media executives testified before the subcommittee for more than two hours: PBS CEO Paula Kerger, NPR CEO Katherine Maher and Alaska Public Media CEO Ed Ulman.
When the CPB board met nearly one week later, Chair Ruby Calvert and CEO Patricia Harrison both refuted the characterization that public media is anti-American.
Harrison described the hearing as “ominously and incorrectly titled, ‘Anti-American Airwaves.’” She noted that the label is “so ironic” because concert specials celebrating Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are among the most-watched PBS programs.
“There’s nothing more American than public media,” Calvert said in her remarks to the board. “Our local stations … in most communities, they’re the only community-owned stations.”
Harrison acknowledged “serious challenges” ahead for preserving CPB’s federal appropriation.
Clayton Barsoum, CPB’s new VP of government and external affairs, provided some details. After the hearing, Rep. Greene and members of the subcommittee sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R- La.) calling for the elimination of CPB funding, he said.
Barsoum told the board that Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) has reintroduced his bill prohibiting federal funding to NPR and PBS.
Under the bill, stations that receive federal funds would be barred from using those dollars to pay for programming or other dues to NPR and PBS. It also prohibits any “successor organization” to NPR or PBS from receiving federal funds.
Jackson previously introduced the bill in 2023.
“As we continue to engage with Congress, support from our board members remains critical,” Barsoum said.
In her remarks, Calvert also praised Maher, Kerger and Ulman for their testimony during the hearing, saying they did an “amazing job” even as many of the questions were “pointed in all the wrong directions.”
Very grateful for Ruby Calvert and her leadership at CPB! Tilt those windmills Ruby!