Utah Public Radio reacts to potential federal funding cuts to public media
May 7, 2025, 6:35 PM | Updated: 7:37 pm
LOGAN — A recent White House executive order calls for an end to federal funding of public media. It could impact PBS and NPR programming and journalism across Utah.
KSL TV spoke to some of the voices and managers of Utah Public Radio, a member of NPR. Utah Public Radio is a nonprofit public radio station located on Utah State University’s campus. In its newsroom, a team of journalists find, record, edit and produce stories about Utahns. They also broadcast national and international news with providers like the BBC.
Utah Public Radio journalist edits a story inside the station at Utah State University. (Shelby Lofton, KSL TV)
Utah Public Radio gets money to stay on air from private donors, grants, USU and partially through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or the CPB.
Click here to learn more about CPB and how federal funding for public media works.
Host and station manager Tom Williams said about 15% of Utah Public Radio’s budget comes from the CPB, which is federally funded. If these proposed cuts come to fruition, he said they would negatively impact the station, but it wouldn’t necessarily be fatal.
Williams said the potential budget cuts would force the station to look at its programs, staff and resources and assess what it could afford to keep.
“We don’t know what exactly is going to happen, but we are trying to prepare for all eventualities,” Williams said. “Keeping our listeners informed, right? Kind of like our reporters, right? As we would do the news. But also to kind of come together as a community, reassure the community that we’re doing everything we can.”
When asked how the potential cuts may impact it, PBS Utah referred KSL TV to the following statement from PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger:
“The President’s blatantly unlawful Executive Order, issued in the middle of the night, threatens our ability to serve the American public with educational programming, as we have for the past 50-plus years. We are currently exploring all options to allow PBS to continue to serve our member stations and all Americans.”
Contributing: Devin Oldroyd
