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The White House plans to ask Congress to rescind funds for public broadcasting. What is the impact on WJCT Public Media?

There have been several press reports — including NPR and the PBS NewsHour — that the Trump administration will formally request Congress to pass a package of “rescission” legislation. Here’s what we know:

  • Rescission legislation allows the President to propose the cancellation of previously approved federal funding.
  • The specific programs targeted for rescissions have not yet been formally announced, but it is likely the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — funded two years in advance — and other key public media programs that support stations will be included.
  • The White House could send this plan to Congress as early as Monday, April 28, when lawmakers return from recess.
  • Under this type of legislative process, Congress will have 45 working days to vote on the rescission proposal.
  • If enacted, the rescission package would effectively “claw back” federal appropriations for public broadcasting for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027 — funding that Congress has already approved.
  • If Congress does not approve the rescission request from the Trump administration, the White House and US Treasury must spend the money as originally intended.

Federal funding and WJCT Public Media

Each year since the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, Congress has approved an appropriation of federal funds for the Corporate for Public Broadcasting (CPB). CPB is in charge of distributing the funds — approximately $565 million, or $1.60 per American — to public media organizations around the country.

Roughly 70% of those funds go to hundreds of public television and radio stations, like WJCT, that serve local communities with a broad range of services, including the many things we do right here in NE Florida like:  early childhood education services, local journalism, public safety, in-person events like Lunch and Learn programs, concerts, and film screenings, and much, much more. PBS and NPR receive much of their funding from stations like us, but they also receive some federal money directly from CPB.

The federal funding appropriation for public media has had bi-partisan support in Congress for decades.

What are the key things I should know about federal funding for public media?

  • Public media reaches 99.7% of the U.S. population and serves millions of Americans every day, for free.
  • Federal funding for public media represents 0.0073% (less than 1/100th of one percent) of the total US budget.
  • 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 15% of WJCT Public Media's annual operating revenue comes from 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.
  • Just last month, Pew Research reported that Americans support federal funding for public media by a margin of 2:1.

What would happen if WJCT Public Media lost CPB funding?

WJCT Public Media has a broad base of support and a diversified revenue model, with ~86% of our funding from local and regional sources. If federal funding were to disappear virtually overnight; however, we will not escape unscathed, and we will have to accelerate our work to make up for a significant gap.

But make no mistake — the immediate claw back of already appropriated funds will be devastating for the public media system as we know it. For the hundreds of public radio stations and public television stations across the country that make our network reach universal, accessible to 99.7% of Americans in the places where they live, for free. For PBS and NPR, which depend on those stations for the funds it needs to provide programming and services. And for all of us who depend on the public media system for the broad range of services — too many to easily list here — that are so vital to a functioning democratic society.

What can I do?

  • Advocate: make your voice heard in the offices of your elected members of Congress, both in the Senate and in the House. Please visit Protect My Public Media.org, which makes it very easy to do—just enter your name and address and you can click to send an email directly to your representatives in Congress, while also keeping abreast of developments. And tell your friends! We need to make it very clear that federal funding for public media is money well spent, and is essential to preserve.
  • Donate: Local community support is our largest and most stable source of funding, and WJCT’s continued service to this region will require your ongoing support. If you’re already a contributing member, thank you! If you’re not, or if you can give more generously, now is an excellent time to join or increase your support.

You can also call your congressional representatives:

U.S. Senate

  • Rick Scott:  202-224-5274
  • Ashley Moody:  202-224-3041

US Congress - 119th US Congress

  • 3rd Congressional district of Florida:  Kat Cammack  202-225-5744 
  • 4th Congressional district of Florida (Nassau, Clay, Duval):  Aaron Bean  202-225-0123 
  • 5th Congressional district of Florida (Duval, St. Johns):  John Rutherford  202-225-2501 
  • 6th Congressional district of Florida (Flagler, Volusia):  Randy Fine 202-225-2706  
  • 1st Congressional district of Georgia (southeast counties):  Earl “Buddy” Carter 202-225-5831
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