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Public broadcasting cuts could devastate local radio station funding
Amid cries from Donald Trump of a liberal bias from PBS and NPR, Republicans slashed over a billion dollars in funding to the groups. Hundreds of local public radio stations around the country could see massive holes in their budget, even closing due to the cuts.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Public broadcasting stations around the country are preparing for the worst after Congress cut more than a billion dollars from their budget, impacting both PBS and NPR.
Also affected will be the hundreds of local affiliates that rely on federal money to produce content - including in Detroit at WDET-FM.
Local perspective:
In the hours after Congress approved funding cuts to public radio desired by President Donald Trump, station managers like Mary Zatina were left worried by the financial hole they now face.
"It's a huge kick in the gut to WDET. It's going to create a giant hole in our budget," she said.
After a late-night voting round in Congress, the U.S. House approved $9 billion in cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid. While some stations like WDET will see a massive drop in available money, other stations could fare even worse.
"The truth is it's really going to devastate and probably close a number of stations across the country," said Zatina.
That's because while stations benefit from donations from listeners, a good chunk of how they stay on the air came from the federal government.
Big picture view:
Writing on Truth Social, Trump called the funding a waste, blaming a perceived liberal bias from PBS and NPR.
But Zatina says listeners of all affiliations listen to their station and that 82% of what they air is locally produced, including 24/7 music, news, and conversation.
That may now go away - along with the vital role that public radio serves as a communication center for emergencies.
"A lot of us public stations play a critical role in emergency response and these are sending messages from the federal government, from the state government, from the National Weather Service," she said.
Rural communities may be the hardest hit.
What you can do:
Zatina said the best way to help their local station and others around Michigan is by getting support from the community.
"The only good option for WDET Public Radio staying strong in the Metro Detroit community is for more people who care about us to step forward and make a personal contribution," said Zatina.
The Source: Interviews with WDET Station Manager was used while reporting this story.