Nebraska Public Media GM weighs in on executive order aiming to cut NPR, PBS funding

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday night aiming to slash funding to NPR and PBS.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, along with other federal agencies, to “cease federal funding for NPR and PBS.”

Trump’s reasoning for the order was alleged “bias” in the organizations’ reporting. In the executive order, it said, "neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens."

Stacey Decker, Nebraska Public Media’s general manager, said he is deeply disappointed by the order.

“We feel like this really limits Nebraska Public Media’s ability to make independent and locally focused decisions about the programming and resources we provide to Nebraskans,” Decker said.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting receives about a half a billion dollars in public funds each year.

“It severs the strong local and national partnership that has been the backbone, really, of public media delivering trusted and valued, essential programming and services to all of America,” Decker said.

The CPB sued Trump earlier this week over the firings of three members of its five-person board. The organization said the president is overextending his authority, and the firings would prevent the board from being able to reach quorum.

According to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Congress has fully funded it through Sept 30, 2027. It is not clear that the president has the authority to claw back that funding without a vote by Congress to do so.

NPR receives around 1% of its funding directly from the federal government, and a slightly greater amount indirectly; its 246 member institutions receive on average 8% to 10% of their funds from CPB. By contrast, PBS and its stations receive about 15% of their revenues from CPB's federal funds.