On Friday, July 18, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved a rescission package that eliminates approximately $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), following earlier passage by the Senate. The bill now heads to President Trump for signature, making the defunding of public media all but certain (AP News).
What This Means for KETR
This action removes CPB support for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027, directly affecting stations like KETR. CPB funding has historically made up roughly half of KETR’s annual operating costs outside of full-time salaries and university-covered overhead (TIME).
These funds have supported:
- Licensing for national programming such as NPR
- Part-time and contract production staff (including university and high school sports coverage)
- Local content that fulfills CPB’s noncommercial educational mission
To be clear: none of KETR’s full-time staff are paid with CPB funds. The impact falls on the grant-supported positions that allow KETR to extend its reach and programming.
How We’re Responding
KETR is already taking steps to adjust to this new financial reality:
- Reducing syndicated content and prioritizing essential local programming
- Increasing use of automation to limit reliance on grant-funded part-time labor
- Scaling back the program schedule to focus on what our listeners rely on most
- Launching a direct fundraising campaign to offset lost support and preserve service
How You Can Help
Today, we begin a focused community campaign to help cover essential costs and protect KETR’s local service.
If you value what KETR provides—trusted news, severe weather alerts, local music programming like Notably Texan, and sports broadcasts that celebrate our community—now is the time to lend your support.
We will continue to provide updates as the situation develops. Thank you for standing with 88.9 KETR and supporting public media when it matters most.
