A recently passed House bill proposing major cuts to public broadcasting is drawing passionate responses on both sides of the aisle.
Local leaders like WYES President and CEO Robin Cooper warn that the funding rollback could devastate community stations, while critics argue that public dollars should not fund what they see as politically slanted content in a changing media landscape.
For WYES, the financial stakes are high. Cooper says the cuts would strip more than $800,000 a year — about 13% of the station’s operating budget — from programming that has long served the New Orleans community.
“These are funds that had already been allocated,” Cooper said. “What the House has essentially done is vote to rescind that support, despite its longstanding impact on families, educators, and underserved audiences.”
WYES and other public stations have been pivotal in delivering early childhood education programs, literacy initiatives, and free learning materials to parents and teachers, especially in regions with limited access to educational resources.
But critics of the current public broadcasting model argue that the system is outdated and ideologically biased.
Tim Graham, Executive Director of NewsBusters, points out that public broadcasting is the only media entity receiving federal funds upfront, to the tune of $1.1 billion.
“In a media world dominated by YouTube and streaming, most young people aren’t watching traditional TV,” Graham said. “And PBS and NPR are frequently biased against conservatives. Taxpayer money should be spent in a more balanced way — or not spent at all on media that takes a partisan angle.”
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where it will first be considered in committee before a full vote ahead of the July 18 deadline.
Cooper says WYES is working to make its case directly to lawmakers: “We are noncommercial and educational at our core. The absence of local stations like ours would leave a significant gap in service — especially for those who rely on free, trusted content.”