The Trump administration is preparing to ask Congress to rescind more than $1 billion in previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The move that could devastate rural radio stations like KZYX.
The funding reduction would use a rarely deployed budget tool known as “rescission.” Rescission allows the president to propose canceling funds that were already approved by Congress. If Congress agrees by a simple majority vote—the cuts can take effect without the threat of a Senate filibuster.
While headlines have focused on the implications for NPR and PBS, the true cost may fall hardest on the 60 or so small community radio stations that depend on CPB grants to survive. KZYX, for example, received about 25% of its operating budget this year from CPB. That funding is in jeopardy as early as July, when KZYX’s fiscal year begins.
(Note that this number was provided by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters and is based on its membership. We will add the data from Corporation for Public Broadcasting when it is provided.)
KZYX spoke with Congressman Jared Huffman about the proposal and what listeners can do. Huffman explained the rescission process and the speed with which it could move.
“Rescission is a seldom-used mechanism where Congress can avoid the filibuster and give the president the ability to take away funding that Congress itself has enacted—maybe even in the middle of a budget year,” Huffman said.
The proposal would strip $1.1 billion already earmarked for CPB for the period beginning in October 2025 and meant to last through September 2027. But for stations like KZYX, the impact would hit sooner due to the earlier fiscal calendar.
Huffman emphasized that the slim Republican majority in the House means the outcome could hinge on just a few votes.
“If we get maybe three or four Republicans willing to stand up against their own party and say, ‘No, I won’t vote for that,’ we can save it,” Huffman said, pointing to rural-district representatives like Congressman Doug LaMalfa, whose constituents rely on public radio.
But Huffman warned that partisan divisions are deep, and outreach to Republican lawmakers is most effective when it comes from Republican constituents.
“We are in a hyper-partisan environment. My Republican colleagues are not particularly interested in what Democrats have to say. In fact, a lot of the time, they’re more interested in triggering Democrats,” Huffman said. “So liberal Democrats lobbying them probably won’t work. You need Republicans to do it.”
Some members of Congress have introduced legislation that would cut federal funding for NPR and PBS specifically, while sparing rural stations. Huffman does not support that compromise.
“I’m not going to throw NPR and PBS under the bus,” he said. “If you feel like you have to do that to survive, that’s your decision. I’m going to disagree with it, but I respect that you’ve got to keep the lights on.”
KZYX’s financial relationship with NPR highlights the complexity of the funding picture. Federal dollars account for only about 1% of NPR’s budget, while member stations like KZYX contribute roughly 30%. This year alone, KZYX paid $71,000 in programming and satellite fees to NPR.
That means if the operational support KZYX receives from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting disappears, KZYX could be forced to make deep cuts—this could include its NPR affiliation. Everything is on the table as the station prepares next year’s budget.
When asked whether Republicans might support a carve-out for rural stations while defunding national outlets, Congressman LaMalfa told KZYX that was a possibility. LaMalfa understands the value of rural radio. “No one wants to swing an ax and cut everything,” he said. While he stopped short of making a commitment, LaMalfa’s response left room for discussion.
That’s exactly what KZYX hopes to foster. The station has launched a public Discord channel called Save Rural Radio, designed to bring together listeners, members, and advocates. Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Discord server is an independent online space for civic dialogue— it’s owned by no corporation, and it’s open to all and it will be troll free.
