Schumer says federal cuts to public broadcasting will hurt rural NY

Chart from Sen. Schumer’s Office: These are a list of stations in Upstate NY that received funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to the NYS Association for Public Broadcasting, that would be at risk if the plan to defund public media were to become law.

Press Release, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer

 As the Senate prepares to vote on Trump’s plan to claw back over $1 billion in federal funding for America’s public radio and television stations, which could devastate communities across Upstate NY, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today demanded the GOP block cuts that would hurt children, rural areas, and emergency preparedness in every corner of New York.

Schumer said that the GOP plan to strip funding from America’s public broadcasting would decimate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports more than 1,500 locally-owned public radio and television stations including dozens in New York State. The senator broke down the impact of these cuts for Upstate NY public news outlets that receive funding from the CPB and vowed to lead the fight in the Senate against these alarming cuts.

“Our public TV and radio stations are the glue that keep so many of our communities connected & informed across Upstate NY and targeting them for radical funding cuts hurts all of Upstate,” Schumer said. “PBS and NPR and others are more than stations, they are a public service networks providing life-saving emergency alerts, educational content to children, and so much more at no cost.”

Funds for public broadcasting supports educational initiatives, rural areas, and disaster preparedness efforts across New York State. New York’s public TV and radio stations send emergency alerts during natural disasters, develop educational content, license music from local artists, and more.

These services are critical for New York’s communities. For example, with more severe weather across the country, timely weather alerts can save lives. In addition, for children not enrolled in formal pre-school, educational programming from public television ensures they can access educational content regardless of their families’ ability to pay, and teachers use worksheets and videos in local classrooms.

In New York State, dozens of recipients last year received more than $45 million in through the CPB, generating a significant local economic impact. According to NPR, the public broadcasting sector in New York supports nearly 4,000 jobs, including 1,125 direct positions, 1,271 indirect jobs through supply chain activity, and 1,321 induced jobs driven by household spending.

According to Northwestern University, nearly 55 million Americans have limited to no access to local news. According to PBS, 60 percent of its audience lives in rural communities, and its programming reaches more children than any of the children’s TV networks in a year. If passed, the GOP proposal would further limit access to local news for communities who depend on information from their local radio and television stations for vital information and services, devastating local communities who would get hit first and hardest.

Though historically funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been approved with bipartisan support, the House GOP last month passed legislation at President Trump’s request that would claw back more than $1 billion in bipartisan federal investments in the CPB.

Trump also issued an executive order stating no money from CPB can go to NPR, PBS or their affiliates which is currently being challenged in court. Trump’s FY 2026 budget request completely eliminates federal funding and closeout CPB.