Corporation for Public Broadcasting Dissolves

Rex Ballard
2 days ago
7 min read

The Final Curtain: Amid Decades of Bias Allegations

In a move that marks the abrupt end of a 58-year era in American media, the board of directors for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) voted unanimously on Monday to dissolve the organization. Established in 1967 to channel federal funds to public broadcasters like PBS and NPR, the CPB's shuttering follows a contentious congressional decision last summer to rescind over $1.1 billion in funding, spearheaded by President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers. Critics hailed the dissolution as a victory against taxpayer-funded bias, while supporters decried it as a blow to independent journalism and educational programming.

The decision, announced by CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison, prioritizes a clean wind-down over leaving the entity as a "dormant shell" vulnerable to further political attacks. Most staff were laid off by September 30, 2025, with a small transition team handling final tasks, including distributing remaining funds and archiving historical content. This closure leaves PBS, NPR, and hundreds of local stations scrambling for private funding, potentially reshaping the landscape of non-commercial media in the U.S.

A Storied History Marred by Partisan Battles

The CPB was born from President Lyndon B. Johnson's Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, aimed at fostering educational and cultural content free from commercial pressures and government interference. PBS launched in 1970 with iconic programs like Sesame Street and Masterpiece Theatre, while NPR followed in 1971, gaining acclaim for in-depth reporting on shows like All Things Considered and Morning Edition. For decades, these networks enjoyed bipartisan support, viewed as vital for informing rural and underserved communities, boosting voter turnout, and providing factual knowledge amid misinformation.

However, accusations of left-wing bias have dogged public broadcasters since the 1980s, intensifying during the Trump administrations. Conservative critics, including think tanks like The Heritage Foundation, argued that PBS and NPR had devolved into "radical left-wing echo chambers," promoting progressive agendas while marginalizing conservative viewpoints. A 2023 Pew poll revealed NPR's audience skewed heavily liberal, with only 11% identifying as conservative, down from 21% in 2012. Broader analyses, such as those from the Media Research Center (MRC), documented imbalances: PBS's NewsHour gave 85% negative coverage to congressional Republicans versus 54% positive for Democrats, and labeled "far-right" terms 162 times compared to "far-left" just six times in 2024.

Paula Kerger, President/CEO PBS and Katherine Maher, President of NPR - photo from congressional hearing Mar. 2025

NPR's newsroom composition fueled further scrutiny. An internal review showed 87 registered Democrats among editors and zero Republicans, a homogeneity former NPR editor Uri Berliner cited in his 2024 essay as contributing to "lost trust" by coalescing around a "progressive worldview." Berliner accused NPR of downplaying stories like the Hunter Biden laptop (dismissed as a "distraction") and the COVID-19 lab-leak theory (initially labeled a conspiracy), while aggressively pursuing Trump-Russia collusion narratives later debunked.

Programming choices also drew ire. PBS aired segments critics labeled as promoting DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) agendas, including a 2021 WNET website post (later removed) featuring drag queen "Lil' Miss Hot Mess" for children aged 3-8, a Real Boy documentary on transgender youth, and an Arthur episode framing racism as a "disease" inspired by scholars like Ibram X. Kendi. NPR segments explored "genderqueer dinosaur enthusiasts" and "trans-ceratops," while relaxing rules for journalists to attend political demonstrations, seen as encouraging activism.

Public perception polls reinforced these claims. A 2018 survey found 44% of Americans viewed PBS as liberal versus 14% conservative, and media bias charts placed both outlets on the left spectrum despite high factual accuracy ratings. AllSides rated NPR as aligning with "liberal, progressive or left-wing thought."

Leadership Under Fire: Maher's Tenure and DEI Push

Much of the bias narrative centered on NPR's former CEO Katherine Maher, who served from March 2024 to mid-2025. Maher's past social media posts—calling America "addicted to white supremacy," advocating reparations, labeling Donald Trump a "deranged racist," and critiquing binary gender terms—were scrutinized during 2025 congressional hearings. In a 2021 TED Talk, she suggested "reverence for the truth" could distract from "finding common ground," interpreted by critics as downplaying objectivity.

Video clips from hearings and interviews highlighted these points:

In a March 26, 2025, House DOGE Subcommittee hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene grilled Maher on DEI policies and bias, with Maher defending NPR's mission but admitting staff partisanship concerns.

Maher's testimony sparked perceived bias and was widely reported. This clip from Sky News Australia:

The Path to Defunding: Trump's Executive Order and Congressional Action

Tensions peaked in 2025. Trump's May executive order halted CPB funding, labeling PBS and NPR as biased and outdated amid digital alternatives. A White House fact sheet accused them of fueling "partisanship and left-wing propaganda." Congress followed with H.R. 4 / H.Res. 590 in July, rescinding $1.1 billion through 2027.

Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz celebrated: "Public broadcasting has long been overtaken by partisan activists... NPR and PBS have revealed their left-wing bias time and time again." Rep. Byron Donalds echoed this, calling it a win against "egregious politicization."

On X (formerly Twitter), reactions were jubilant among conservatives. Posts like Eric Daugherty's "BOOM! NPR and PBS are cooked" and Rapid Response 47's "WINNING" garnered thousands of engagements, framing the dissolution as ending taxpayer-funded propaganda. Others, like DOGEai TX, argued it redirects funds to priorities like border security.

Counterarguments: Defenders Push Back

Not all agree on bias. A 2025 University of Maryland study found NPR and PBS audiences better informed on issues like Iraq events, linking public media to lower extremism susceptibility. Pew's March 2025 poll showed 43% of Americans supported continued funding and 57% either "not sure" or supporting discontinued federal funding. PBS's Kerger called the order "blatantly unlawful," and a Journal of Communication study found no widespread perception of bias among viewers, who trust PBS for its public funding.

NPR's Maher emphasized in statements that she held no editorial role, and internal audits acknowledged coverage shortcomings but defended journalistic independence. Ed Ulman of Alaska Public Media highlighted public broadcasters' role in emergency alerts and local news.

Critics like Noam Chomsky have long argued NPR biases toward the "status quo," but defenders note high trust ratings and benefits for rural areas.

However, the data shows that the audience for Public Broadcasting has been steadily shrinking since 2017. The Pew Research poll (March 2025) showed that the majority of rural Americans were turning to streaming sources and social media for their news.

Impact and the Road Ahead

Supporters of CPB argue that dissolution hits hardest in rural communities. Although the data suggests that their reliance on public stations for local news and emergency services has steadily declined since 2017. PBS and NPR plan shifts to subscriptions and donations, but executives warn of ripple effects, including reduced programming. The Heritage Foundation called it a "win for liberty," while the Cato Institute praised defunding as overdue.

As America grapples with media polarization, the CPB's end underscores deep divides over objectivity, funding, and the role of public institutions.

Footnote:

Executive Salaries at CPB, PBS, and NPR

Based on the latest available IRS Form 990 filings (fiscal year ending September 2024 for CPB and NPR, and June 2024 for PBS), below are tables summarizing the reportable compensation for key executive team members and officers. These include base salaries, bonuses, and other reportable income, but exclude other compensation like benefits or deferred pay unless noted. I've focused on top executives (e.g., C-suite and senior VPs) to represent the "executive team," as full lists include board members with minimal or no compensation. Totals are summed from reportable compensation only.

CPB Executive Team Salaries (FY Ending Sept. 2024)

Name	Position	Reportable Compensation
Patricia De Stacy Harrison	President & CEO	$349,465
William P Tayman Jr	CFO & Treasurer (Thru 04/2024)	$313,526
Michael Levy	EVP & COO	$310,222
J Westwood Smithers Jr	SVP & General Counsel (Thru 04/2024)	$308,844
Teresa Safon	SVP, Corp Sec & Chief Of Staff	$308,671
Kathleen Merritt	SVP, Radio Journalism & CSG	$248,129
Anne Pizzato Brachman	SVP, Government Affairs	$240,462
Stephen P Wolfe	CTO & SVP, Information Technology	$239,097
Stacey A Decker	SVP, Innovation & System Strategies	$238,294
Debra Sanchez	SVP, Educ Med & Learning Experiences	$235,542
Kathryn Washington	SVP, Television Content	$227,832
Stephen Wilkins	SVP, DEI (Thru 01/2024)	$224,232
Total		$3,244,316

Note: This total represents reportable compensation for listed executives only; the full Form 990 reports aggregate executive compensation expenses of $4,129,424, which includes additional key employees and highest-paid staff not listed here.

PBS Executive Team Salaries (FY Ending June 2024)

Name	Position	Reportable Compensation
Paula A Kerger	President & CEO	$1,162,720
Jonathan Barzilay	Chief Operating Officer	$749,457
Ira Rubenstein	Chief Digital & Marketing Officer	$607,379
Katherine S Lauderdale	Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary	$539,389
Tom E Tardivo	Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer	$520,536
Rhonda Holt	Chief Technology Officer	$503,215
Sylvia M Bugg	Chief Program Exec & Gm, Gen. Audiences	$464,820
Jeremy M Gaines	SVP, Corporate Communications	$424,381
Scott Nourse	SVP, Product & Innovation	$413,994
Sara E De Witt	SVP & Gm, Pbs Kids	$393,454
Michael D Jacobson	SVP, Human Resources	$381,518
Cecilia B Loving	SVP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion	$361,563
Total		$6,522,426

NPR Executive Team Salaries (FY Ending Sept. 2024)

Name	Position	Reportable Compensation
John F Lansing	President & Ceo (To 04/24)	$562,689
Steven Inskeep	Sr. Host	$503,042
Michel Martin	Sr. Host	$479,284
Nancy Barnes	Former Officer	$476,126
Peter Sagal	Host	$443,371
Rachel Martin	Host	$425,187
Scott Simon	Sr. Host	$419,455
Michael Smith	Chief Marketing Officer	$381,751
Anya Grundmann	Svp, Prog. & Aud. Dev'l (To 01/24)	$381,081
Edith Chapin	Acting Cco & Svp, News & Editorial	$376,401
Elizabeth A Allen	Chief Legal Officer/Gc/Secretary	$357,453
Leora Hanser	Chief Development Officer	$354,699
Christopher Nelson	Svp, Technology Operations	$344,187
Selyn Hong	Chief People Officer (To 01/24)	$331,248
Keith Woods	Chief Diversity Officer	$319,379
Gemma Hooley	Svp, Member Partnerships	$307,889
Total		$6,482,262

Note: NPR's executive team includes prominent hosts as key employees due to their high compensation and role in operations. The total is for reportable compensation only.