Federal cuts threaten survival of Colorado public stations
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Federal funding cuts to public broadcasters have delivered a devastating blow to the 52 public media stations in Colorado, with many at risk of going dark.
State of play: Hundreds of local stations nationwide are expected to scale back or shut down, especially in rural areas where they are often the only source of local news.
Threat level: Colorado outlets face deep budget shortfalls starting Oct. 1, the start of the next fiscal year.
- Colorado Public Radio said its federal funding amounts to $1.5 million, or about 6% of its annual budget.
- Rocky Mountain PBS expects a $3 million annual loss, per Westword.
- KSUT Tribal Radio in the Four Corners lost $330,000, or about 20% of its budget, the Colorado Sun reported.
- High Plains Public Radio, which serves the Eastern Plains, is short $220,000, executive director Quentin Hope said.
- KGNU in Boulder is down $155,000, or 15% of its budget, per the Sun.
What they're saying: This is "a time for radical collaboration" where some organizations have to narrow down their focus and "accept resources from elsewhere," CPR president and CEO Steward Vanderwilt said.
- This is "triage…community by community," he added, and an opportunity to "remake the whole system."
The big picture: New data from Muck Rack, a media monitoring company, illustrates the vast news deserts across the country that could expand as more public broadcasting funds disappear.
By the numbers: The U.S. has only 8.2 "local journalist equivalents" per 100,000 people, down 75% from 2002. Around two-thirds of counties fall below that average.
- In Colorado, 42% of counties sit below the national rate, an Axios Denver analysis found. Denver bucks the trend with 19 journalist equivalents per 100,000 people.