Federal cuts put Kansas City public media in crisis mode

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A sweeping federal decision to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has left Kansas City’s public media outlets scrambling to raise millions of dollars – and avoid deep cuts to newsrooms, education programming, and cultural coverage.

The legislation, recently passed by Congress and awaiting a signature by President Donald Trump, rescinds $1.1 billion in previously allocated federal support. That’s left stations like Kansas City PBS, 90.9 The Bridge, Flatland, and NPR affiliate KCUR reeling – collectively facing a combined shortfall of more than $2 million.

“This loss of funding is a significant challenge,” said Kliff Kuehl, President and CEO of Kansas City PBS. “But we have always been powered by the people we serve, and we will continue to inform, inspire and connect.”

Immediate and Possibly Lasting Impact

KCUR stands to lose $480,707 – about 5.1% of its annual revenue that they now have to focus on raising before Oct. 1 arrives and the funds are officially rescinded.

Lisa Rodriguez, Interim Director of Content Journalism at KCUR, said the station is aiming to raise $1 million through an emergency fundraising drive – enough to cover two years of lost CPB funding.

“The reality is, if it’s gone and we can’t get it back, really tough choices are ahead that will affect Kansas City,” Rodriguez said.

KCUR currently employs 72 full- and part-time people, including journalists working on collaborative reporting projects like NPR’s Midwest Newsroom, the Kansas News Service, and Harvest Public Media.

Local Programming at Risk

Kansas City PBS, which operates four television channels and provides trusted children’s programming like Sesame Street, also faces a dramatic funding loss – $1.7 million, or 13 percent of its operating budget. The Bridge, a non-profit music station highlighting local talent, is losing another $100,000 in support.

“The cuts happen in a heartbeat,” Kuehl said.

He added that much of the content supported by CPB funding has no political affiliation whatsoever.

“Daniel Tiger and Steve Reichlin’s Barbecue show – there are so many of those that have nothing to do with news or politics,” Kuehl said.

KKFI’s Kelly Dougherty said the cuts will result in nearly 10% of 90.1 FM’s annual revenue being lost.

“Hundreds of rural and tribal community radio stations will go dark, leaving these communities without access to emergency warnings,” Dougherty claimed. “Not to mention that CBP negotiates a blanket music license with the five PROs and SoundExchange, making it affordable for many of these stations to play music.

“Without that, many stations will not be able to afford that, affecting local music economies all over this country, including right here in Kansas City.”

Addressing the Perceived Bias

The funding rollback has been largely driven by Republican lawmakers who accuse NPR and public media of liberal bias. Rodriguez pushed back firmly.

“I challenge those who think that our coverage is biased to listen,” she said. “If you listened this morning, Republican Congressman Sam Graves was on ‘Up To Date’ for an extended interview.”

Graves, in fact, is one of the lawmakers who voted to cut CPB funding.

“KCUR helped Republican Congressman Mark Alford host a town hall. He couldn’t have done that town hall without the support of KCUR, making sure there were people there to regulate, and monitor, and control the crowds,” Rodriguez said.

Alford was also one of the lawmakers who voted to cut CPB funding.

“What we do isn’t possible without Kansas City, and we hope our region sees us as essential,” Rodriguez said.

What Happens If the Gap Isn’t Closed?

If KCUR can’t raise enough to replace the rescinded funds, the consequences would be severe. Programming could shrink, staff may be let go, and coverage of local and state issues would be scaled back.

But the federal cuts may actually be worse for smaller public media stations across the country, especially in rural areas. The CPB cuts could mean a shutdown of local news operations and even possibly the loss of emergency alerts during disasters.

How You Can Help

To continue offering essential services, Kansas City PBS and KCUR are asking for community support. You can donate directly by visiting www.kcur.org or www.kansascitypbs.org.