The White House previously eliminated all future funding of CPB in its fiscal year 2026 budget sent to Congress. In combination, these are the most direct and consequential threats to federal support of public broadcasting and HPPR that have ever occurred. The House expected to act soon on the take back request, followed by the Senate. Only a majority vote is required in the House and Senate to pass the funding take back.
Federal funding of CPB is about local stations and local service
While opposition to federal funding of public media most often focuses on national organization (i.e. NPR and PBS), cutting CPB funding is really about cutting local station funding. Under America’s public media system, over 70% of the federal funding for CPB goes directly to local stations as operating grants. Much of the rest also supports stations indirectly by covering costs of the shared system resources, infrastructure and services that stations rely on.
How defunding CPB directly affects HPPR
HPPR’s current operating grant from CPB is $222,000, 15% of its total annual budget. CPB also provides about $66,000 of indirect annual support through its funding of system-wide resources on which HPPR depends (e.g., the satellite system by which HPPR receives national programming and connects its 18 stations and the web publishing system for hppr.org through which it also share stories with other stations).
Taking back (rescinding) already appropriated funding would quickly affect HPPR as it has been counting on those funds for its operating budget starting October 1 of this year.* Without this funding HPPR would be hard pressed to continue its current levels of service, including operating transmitters reaching the most rural areas of the High Plains, providing two 24/7 programming services (HPPR Mix and HPPR Connect) with their wide range of local, national and international programming, covering state and regional news, and promoting the work of local music, arts, culture, education and social service organizations across the region.
What you can do to help
- Call or email your U.S. Senators and Representative now, even if you have called or written before, and urge them to: 1.) oppose any take back (rescission) of already appropriated CPB funding and 2.) support continued funding of CPB in the FY26 budget. See the contact list below or reach them through Public My Public Media. For guidance and suggestions when contacting them, click here.
- Urge anyone you know who uses and supports public media to contact their Senators and Representative as well, even if they have emailed or called before.
- For email alerts and updates on the status of defunding and other actions against public media, sign-up with Protect My Public Media and encourage others to do so as well.
Kansas
Sen. Jerry Moran, (202) 224–6521, email
KS Rep. Tracy Mann, (202) 225–2715, email,
KS Sen. Roger Marshall, (202) 224–4774, email
Texas
TX Sen. Ted Cruz,(202) 224–5922, email
TX Sen. John Cornyn, (202) 224–2934, email
TX Rep. Ronny Jackson, (202) 225–3706, email
Colorado
CO Sen. Michael F. Bennet,(202) 224–5852, email
CO Sen. John Hickenlooper, (202) 224–5941, email
CO Rep. Lauren Boebert, (202) 225–4761, email
Oklahoma
OK Sen. James Lankford, (202) 224–575, email
OK Sen. Markwayne Mullin, (202) 224–4721, email
OK Rep. Frank Lucas, (202) 225–5565, email
If you have questions about these defunding actions or how HPPR would be affected, please contact Abby Killingsworth, HPPR Development Director (akillingsworth@hppr.org, 800-678-7444) or Quentin Hope, HPPR Executive Director (qhope@hppr.org).
*By law, CPB is forward-funded by two years. So, the White House’s rescission request would take back funds for FY26 and FY27 funds that were appropriated in prior years and are currently in the U.S. Treasury waiting to be released to CPB. The elimination of CPB funding in the FY26 budget is then for FY28 funding. This forward funding arrangement is a key part of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 that’s intended to protect CPB from political interference.
