PBS sues Trump administration over funding cuts
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The nonprofit Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and one of its local affiliates on Friday said they sued the Trump administration over the executive order seeking to cease all federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS.
Why it matters: The lawsuit follows a similar complaint filed by NPR earlier this week.
- PBS CEO Paula Kerger had alluded to the broadcaster's willingness to take legal action in an interview with Axios last month, saying she would would "vigorously" defend PBS' board from any political interference.
State of play: The complaint, which was filed in a U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., argues the president doesn't have the authority to serve "as the arbiter of the content of PBS's programming, including by attempting to defund PBS."
- It argues the president lacks the power to influence funding decisions made by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is a non-government entity. (CPB allocates around $535 million in federal funding annually to NPR and PBS.)
- It also says the president's executive order violates PBS' First Amendment rights.
- With the complaint, PBS is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from Trump's executive order and asks the court to declare that the order violates the Constitution.
What they're saying: "After careful deliberation, PBS reached the conclusion that it was necessary to take legal action to safeguard public television's editorial independence, and to protect the autonomy of PBS member stations," a spokesperson said.
Catch up quick: Last month, the CPB sued Trump and several administration officials for attempting to fire three of the five members of its board and asked a judge for a temporary restraining order.
- A District Court judge ordered both sides to file arguments in response to CPB's request for a temporary restraining order that would pause the firings while the case was deliberated, per NPR.
By the numbers: PBS receives around 15% of its total revenue from the federal government. The rest comes from public support and corporate sponsors.
Yes, but: Like NPR, PBS' local member stations are generally more reliant on federal funds than the national PBS organization.
- PBS, in its lawsuit, argues stripping federal funding would ultimately "upend public television."
The big picture: Trump's move is part of a broader effort to target the media industry and defund news organizations.
- The Trump administration has tried to gut the Voice of America and its parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
