Congress rescinded previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in July 2025.
The cuts were part of President Donald Trump's $9 billion rescission package that included about $1.1 billion appropriated to support public radio and television stations over two years.
The CPB ceased operations in 2025 and the rescission continues to affect some 1,500 locally managed public radio and television stations nationwide.
In Utah, six public media organizations lost funding: KPCW, KUER, PBS Utah, Utah Public Radio, KRCL and the Utah Education Network.
KPCW Executive Director and CEO Juliana Allely said the cuts eliminated $264,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a total loss of $528,000.
That represents about 14% of the station's annual operating budget.
“Last summer, KPCW launched a 10-day emergency fundraising campaign, and the community helped us raise nearly $178,000 to help with the loss,” Allely said. “The station also had to reduce expenses, including employee benefits and Broadcasters Club events.”
Allely said those efforts allowed KPCW to avoid significant changes to local programming and services during the first year without federal funding.
Other public media organizations were forced to make deeper cuts. KUER and PBS Utah reported a 10% reduction in workforce.
As KPCW begins a new fiscal year, the station is working to close its remaining $264,000 shortfall. The “Lost funding, found you” effort runs through July 31.
“About 75% of KPCW's budget directly supports our station’s employees who produce local news, music programming, emergency coverage and community services,” she said. “The remainder pays for expenses like radio transmitters, engineering, insurance and facilities, with a very small percentage for outside programming.”
More than 90% of KPCW’s weekday broadcast schedule is locally produced.
Allely said only about 3% of the budget is spent on national programming from NPR and American Public Media.
In addition to local news, the station provides community services including critical emergency information during wildfires and winter storms and its long-running Lost and Found report.
That feature drew national attention last year when NPR President Katherine Maher mentioned the service on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” when discussing the value of local public radio stations.
"There's a station out in Utah in Park City that, if you lose your mittens in town, they will let you know your mittens have gone missing," Maher said. “Really what we’re talking about is the ability for people to connect with one another and find ways to bridge and strengthen the communities that we live in.”
Along with community fundraising, KPCW development director Sarah Ervin said the station is pursuing foundation grants and other revenue sources.
“To prevent notable programming changes or more severe cuts to services, we need local support,” Ervin said. “We’re asking the community to give what they can to help KPCW enter fiscal year 2027 on solid ground.”
She said the station relies on local support to be able to provide the local news and local services KPCW delivers daily.
Ervin and Allely said they hope the community feels the same sense of urgency as last year because the funding gap remains.
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