By: Caleb Carr
Staff
Growing up, many watched the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) at some point, whether it was Arnold the Aardvark, The Wonder Pets or Clifford the Big Red Dog. In some way or form, PBS was a part of many peoples’ childhoods. PBS provides educational, cultural and free television for all Americans. In May 2025, President Trump signed an executive order cutting funding to PBS, citing it as “biased media,” with funding being cut from 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations. With funds running out, many local PBS and NPR stations across the country struggled to stay afloat, relying on the local community for support. The lack of funding also affected the St. Louis PBS stations, which lost over $1.8 million in federal funding.
Many stations have already felt the effects of the cuts, having to shorten program run times and lay off staff to stay financially stable. While no stations have shut down yet, the strain is increasing – especially for smaller, rural stations that depend more heavily on federal funding than larger, urban ones. The nine PBS stations in the St. Louis area have not had to make any major cuts thanks to the community supporting them through fundraisers and careful financial planning developed over several years. Although the St. Louis stations managed to keep afloat, many others across the country have not been so lucky, facing major setbacks and leaving many stations unsure how long they can keep at it. However, this could all change with a federal judge blocking the cuts.
District Judge Randolph Moss ruled on March 31 that Trump’s executive order to defund NPR was unconstitutional. Moss ruled that the executive order goes against the First Amendment, highlighting the portion of Trump’s executive order directing all agencies to get rid of funding for NPR and PBS and singling them out on “the basis of their speech.”
Moss wrote that, “The First Amendment draws a line, which the government may not cross, at efforts to use government power – including the power of the purse – ‘to punish or suppress disfavored expression’ by others.”
Although the Judge ruled that the executive order was unconstitutional, the $1.1 billion for the broadcast station will not be restored, since Congress had already ruled in favor of the cuts. Overall, public media stations are managing to survive for now, largely due to donations and short-term adjustments. Still, many are making difficult cuts, and the long-term outlook, especially for smaller stations, remains unclear.
