Late Thursday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding for NPR and PBS, claiming ideological bias.
WOSU Public Media General Manager Anthony Padgett said in a statement that the executive order could present a serious challenge to WOSU's mission to serve the central Ohio community.
"Eliminating this funding for PBS and NPR could devastate the local-national partnerships that enable WOSU to bring trusted journalism, children’s programming and educational resources to our community," Padgett said.
Thirteen percent of WOSU's funding in 2024 came from federal grants.
"We know that for many, WOSU is more than just a media source — we are your public media, an essential, trusted presence you rely on and value deeply. WOSU is committed to telling local stories, amplifying community voices, and providing fact-based news coverage to empower our citizenship," Padgett said.
Patricia Harrison, the president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, says that the corporation is not a federal executive agency subject to the president’s authority.
In a statement Friday, NPR says that the president's order is an affront to the First Amendment rights of NPR and locally owned and operated stations.
PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger calls the order "blatantly unlawful."
Kate Riley, the president and CEO of America's Public Television Stations, said in a statement Friday morning, that the executive order limits local stations’ ability to make decisions responsive to their communities.
“This order defies the will of the American people and would devastate the public safety, educational and local service missions of public media – services that the American public values, trusts and relies on every day,” Riley said.
