Dear Aspen Public Radio members and friends,
On May 1, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media.” The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to prohibit both direct and indirect federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Click here for David Folkenflik’s most recent reporting.
And you can read the official statement from NPR here.
From a legal standpoint, it's important to note that executive orders are no different than a press release for practical purposes. In fact, CPB issued a statement stating that they are "not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s authority. Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government."
So, rest assured that a bipartisan Congress considered our editorial independence paramount when they originally authorized the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
What the order does—and doesn’t—attempt to do:
- It targets federal dollars only. Private donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and member support continue to be the foundation of Aspen Public Radio's sustainability. (This means YOU keep us going strong!)
- It leaves public media's overall congressional appropriation unchanged—at least for now. How any federal funds are reallocated after removing NPR and PBS is not yet defined but is sure to have significant impacts on all local public media organizations who rely on NPR to provide some of the content you know and love.
- It does not close local public media stations. However, because most stations (including Aspen Public Radio) rely on federal funding through Community Service Grants to pay for infrastructure, emergency‐alert services, and local journalism, the financial ripple effects could be significant, especially for stations who serve more rural communities.
How federal support fits into Aspen Public Radio’s budget:
Federal dollars flow to our station through an annual grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Those grants account for about 10% of our annual operating budget, or roughly $200,000 annually. The remaining 90% of our funding comes from members, foundations, business sponsorships, and other earned revenue.
What happens next?
- PBS, NPR, and our fellow stations in Colorado, throughout the Rocky Mountain Community Radio network, and across the country wil plan for the future of public media and to protect our essential service to communities without disruption.
- Advocacy – Aspen Public Radio will continue working to protect the strong bipartisan support that exists for public media and will keep Colorado’s congressional delegation informed about how potential cuts would most affect rural transmitters, children’s programming, and emergency‐alert capacity.
- As soon as we have clarity on any legal challenges to or enforcement of the executive order, we will share major updates. As you likely know, the actions coming out of DC are fluid and can change daily. We pledge not to overwhelm you with information, but to ensure you have substantive updates along the way as things unfold.
How you can help right now:
- Stay informed.
- Make your voice heard. If you value free, public‐service media, contact your representatives or visit Protect My Public Media to share your story.
- Support our work with a donation today. If you are led to make a gift to Aspen Public Radio during these challenging times, you can do so here. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with encouraging words, and made a gift already.
This executive order and other funding threats to public media's ability to operate present real challenges, but our commitment to providing Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley with trusted local content and experiences, opportunities for lifelong learning, and deep community connections is unwavering. We will continue to stand with—and report to—the people of our community, ensuring that everyone is seen, heard, valued, and informed.
Thank you for standing with us. We need and appreciate you, always.
Breeze Richardson
Executive Director, Aspen Public Radio