Article Summary –
Trump’s administration plans to cut federal funding for public media, threatening rural radio stations in Arizona. The funding supports local news and cultural programming vital to communities, especially Tribal areas. State intervention may be needed, but political opposition is likely.
Members of the incoming Trump administration have pledged to cut federal funding for public media, endangering rural radio stations in Arizona.
Figures like Elon Musk and US Rep. Juan Ciscomani aim to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Although PBS and NPR might seem the face of public media, local stations in rural areas would face the hardest impact.
Small Investment, Big Returns
Dave Riek, manager of KAWC and KOFA in Yuma, argues the funding serves as valuable investment in rural news services and student broadcasting education.
“The federal contribution is $500 million. The services we provide are worth ten times that,” said Riek. Riek’s station draws listeners with NPR and BBC programming, using CPB grants to hire local reporters and cover costs. Since 2006, KAWC expanded to full-time staff and part-time student workers.
Federal grants make up about 25% of their budget. Though Trump’s cuts could reduce operations, the threat feels heavier this time.
“There’s concern. It could be different from the past,” said Riek. “It’s going to be a sad day for us.”
Providing Space for Culture to Cultivate
For larger stations like Arizona PBS, the impact of funding cuts is minimal, offset by private donations. Smaller stations like KGHR rely heavily on CPB grants, covering 72% of their budget.
Stations like KNNB in Whiteriver provide critical services and cultural content, broadcasting in the Western Apache language. Loss of funding threatens the preservation of this nearly eradicated language.
Could the State Step In?
Rep. Mariana Sandoval warns station closures would devastate areas with limited news access. She sees potential for state funding to fill gaps left by federal cuts, although Republican support is unlikely.
Sandoval believes these threats are part of a broader attack on journalism. “Trump is scaring media from covering his administration critically,” she said. “We’ll defend the First Amendment and oppose these attacks.”
Controlling the Narrative
Project 2025 outlines Trump’s potential strategies to control news outlets, pushing programming favorable to the executive branch. Local stations could comply to retain funding, but journalists like Riek oppose government-directed programming.
“That doesn’t sound like something we’d consider,” said Riek. “We won’t work with those making such demands.”
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