The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was dissolved by a board vote after Congress defunded the organization that once provided federal funding to PBS and NPR.
The corporation’s closure was expected, but the board’s unanimous Dec. 10 vote made it official. The result was announced on Monday.
Created by Congress in 1967, the CPB and its funding were targeted by the Trump administration last year. Monday’s announcement marks the end of the corporation’s 58-year service.
“For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure that all Americans—regardless of geography, income, or background—had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling,” outgoing CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said. “When the Administration and Congress rescinded federal funding, our Board faced a profound responsibility: CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.”
The corporation’s loss in federal funding was effected by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump in July. The law clawed back $1.1 billion allocated for public broadcasting through fiscal 2027, forcing the corporation to wind down operations by the end of September.
Trump accused PBS and NPR of producing content with a left-wing bias and acted to rescind federal funding from their shared principal funder.
The dissolved corporation says dissolution was the best course of action because, otherwise, it “could have become vulnerable to future political manipulation or misuse” under the Trump administration.
CPB maintained more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public radio and television stations nationwide.
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As part of the closure, CPB will distribute the remaining funds appropriated by Congress and provide support to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting in preserving content. CBP’s archives will be preserved in partnership with the University of Maryland.
“Public media remains essential to a healthy democracy,” Harrison added. “Our hope is that future leaders and generations will recognize its value, defend its independence, and continue the work of ensuring that trustworthy, educational, and community-centered media remains accessible to all Americans.”
