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White House says PBS and NPR spread 'radical woke

propaganda'

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PBS, NPR have said cuts could deprive Americans of

credible news

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NPR says it will challenge order; PBS to explore options

(Adds commments from CPB president, PBS and NPR, background)

By Kanishka Singh and Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) -

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to cut

federal funding for NPR and PBS, two U.S. broadcasters that rely

partially on government financial support, his administration's

latest effort to sanction institutions it views as opposed to

his political agenda.

The order, announced late on Thursday, instructs the

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes funding

to the PBS television and NPR radio networks, to "cease direct

funding" them.

NPR said it would aggressively challenge the executive order

and PBS said it was exploring its options. Congress allocated

$535 million for the CPB for fiscal year 2025. Most of the

funding for the PBS and NPR comes from other sources.

The White House said in a statement on Friday that PBS

and NPR receive tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds

each year to spread "radical, woke propaganda disguised as

'news'."

The statement cited examples of what it called "trash

that has passed for 'news' at NPR and PBS," including NPR saying

the Declaration of Independence was a document with "flaws and

deeply ingrained hypocrisies," and apologizing for describing

undocumented migrants as "illegal."

Patricia Harrison, CPB's president and CEO, said in a

statement on Friday that the president lacked the authority to

withdraw the funding.

"Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a

private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal

government," the statement said.

PBS and its stations receive about 15 percent of their

revenues from the CPB, a spokesperson said, adding most of that

goes to local stations.

NPR typically receives only about 1 percent of its

funding directly from the federal government and slightly more

indirectly. Its 246 members, which operate more than 1,000

stations, receive an average of 8% to 10% of their funds from

CPB, according to the PBS representative. NPR did not

immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

The order says CPB's governing statute reflects

principles of impartiality and that neither NPR nor PBS

"presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current

events to taxpaying citizens."

The Trump administration has labeled multiple institutions

in academia, the legal profession and the media as being

leftist, Marxist, biased or "woke," and threatened funding cuts

or other sanctions. Human rights advocates have raised concerns

over free speech and academic freedom.

The administration also sought to shut down Voice of

America, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks,

whose news broadcasts are funded by the government. A federal

judge ordered the administration in late April to halt those

efforts.

NPR said in a statement: "We will vigorously defend our

right to provide essential news, information and life-saving

services to the American public."

PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said Trump's order

threatened its ability to serve the American public with

educational programming as it has for the past 50-plus years.

She said PBS was exploring all options to serve member stations

and viewers.

OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING

Trump's order also aims to suspend indirect funding for

NPR and PBS by asking the CPB to ensure "that licensees and

permittees of public radio and television stations, as well as

any other recipients of CPB funds, do not use federal funds for

NPR and PBS."

The largest portion of PBS's budget comes from station dues.

Individual donations typically go to stations, not to PBS

directly, though PBS generates some money from private grants.

NPR said every $1 of federal funding generates $7 from local

sources.

Both NPR and PBS have previously said that cuts in federal

funding would have a "devastating impact" on Americans who rely

on them for credible local and national news, including during

emergency situations.

NPR said Trump's action jeopardizes the national airing of

programs such as "Newscast," "Morning Edition" and "Tiny Desk

Radio."

"It seeks to deprive tens of millions of Americans of their

regular, trusted sources of information," the statement said.

PBS is known for educational children's programming such as

"Sesame Street" and is also home to such long-running programs

as "PBS News Hour," "Firing Line," "Nova," and "Antiques

Roadshow."

"PBS is not for one political side or the other," it

said in a fact sheet. "It's for everyone."

The CPB, created by Congress in 1967, sued the White

House on Monday after Trump sought to fire three of its five

board members.