PBS Announces Staff Layoffs Amid Federal Funding Cuts
Nationwide reductions a direct result of $1.1 billion budget cut; Corporation for Public Broadcasting shutters operations.
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) confirmed on Thursday that it is reducing its staff by 15% in response to federal funding cuts. The move comes after Congress voted to eliminate approximately $1.1 billion in funding for PBS and National Public Radio (NPR) for the fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
The cuts have led to the closure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which has funneled federal funds to public media for more than 50 years.
A PBS spokesperson stated that the cuts would immediately affect 34 employees, part of nearly 100 total positions eliminated over recent months.
Prior to these cuts, federal funding constituted around 15% of PBS’s national revenue and 1% of NPR’s. The spokesperson added, “In this unprecedented moment we remain focused on what matters most: ensuring our member stations can deliver quality content and services to communities across America.”
PBS previously indicated a need to slash its budget by 21% to address the funding changes. The impact of the cuts is expected to be most significant for local stations, as many of the nearly 350 PBS member stations rely on federal funding to operate.
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