Houston Public Media faces future without federal funding
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Houston Public Media is bracing for the loss of federal funding, which could affect its ability to continue delivering local news and information to Houstonians.
Why it matters: HPM reaches more than 2.7 million people each month across its television, radio and digital platforms.
Catch up quick: Congress on Friday voted to cut nearly $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) through 2026 and 2027, marking a devastating blow for PBS and NPR.
Zoom in: For HPM — which operates NPR affiliate KUHF (88.7 FM) and PBS station KUHT (Channel 8) — federal funds make up $2.2 million annually, or nearly 10% of its yearly operating budget, per the organization.
- In response, the organization has launched the Resiliency Fund, a $4.4 million campaign to offset the losses over the next two years.
- "We do expect belt tightening and are looking for savings opportunities. $2.2 million is a significant amount of money to lose," HPM associate vice president and general manager Josh Adams said in a statement to Axios.
What they're saying: "Public media was created to serve communities first, and that hasn't changed," Lynne Cook, HPM's chief development officer, said in the fund announcement.
- "Whether it's early education content, live storm coverage or reporting on your local school board, the real impact of these cuts will be felt all across our region. We're asking the community to help preserve something they already own."
The organization notes it "has always operated leanly," relying on a mix of community donations, underwriting and federal funding.
- Popular programming — such as "Morning Edition" and "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!" on the radio, and "NOVA" and "Party Politics" on TV — is costly to license and produce, HPM says.
Zoom out: For some vulnerable NPR affiliate stations, CPB funding can make up to 50% of their total budget.
- Without CPB funding, PBS estimates that roughly 15% of its stations will be unable to operate.
The intrigue: While Republicans have made some efforts to defund public media in the past, support for NPR and PBS has historically been considered nonpartisan.
The big picture: The cuts are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to strip funding from public broadcasters.
- Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order to essentially gut international broadcasters that rely on congressionally appropriated funds, such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.