Staff at the Urbana-based station learned in an email Tuesday morning that the College of Media is removing current executive director Moss Bresnahan, moving him to an advisory role within the college.
The elimination of federal funding calculates to a loss of more than $790,000- nearly 80% of the station’s overall annual operations budget.
The House approved a Trump administration plan to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Public broadcasting stations in the state are bracing for big changes.
The Senate has passed Donald Trump’s request to cancel about $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting spending, moving forward on one of the president’s top priorities despite concerns from several Republican senators.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting remains part of the package and stands to lose about $1.1 billion in funding.
Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee pushed back against the Trump administration’s bid to kill $9 billion in federal funding that Congress already has approved for public broadcasting and international aid programs.
The House of Representatives narrowly approved legislation Thursday to claw back two years of federal funding for public media outlets.
IPM’s executive director Moss Bresnahan spoke to IPM News’ Kimberly Schofield about what a loss in public support could mean for the station’s radio, television and digital programs.
A simple majority of lawmakers in each chamber must approve what’s technically known as a “rescission request” within 45 days for it to become law.
PBS and a public television station in rural Minnesota filed suit on Friday against President Trump over his executive order demanding that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting kill all funding for the network.
NPR and three Colorado public radio stations filed suit Tuesday morning in federal court against the Trump White House over the president’s executive order purportedly barring the use of Congressionally appropriated funds for NPR and PBS. “It is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment. ‘But
President’s Trump order seeking to cut off funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting affects about 1,500 stations around the country including many in Illinois. But it’s likely headed for the courts or for drama in Congress.
Now, public radio stations are being targeted for cuts by President Donald Trump, who this week signed an executive order aimed at slashing public subsidies to NPR and PBS, alleging “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.
The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations.