10.15.25

Cantwell Decries WSU Public TV Station Closure Following Defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

CPB cuts continue to harm local journalism as NWPB announces $1.8 million budget deficit, Cascade PBS layoffs after federal funding is rescinded; In June, Sen. Cantwell released snapshot report of public radio and TV stations at risk of closure following Trump budget cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this week, Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB) announced a $1.8 million reduction in annual operating costs, resulting in the closure of KWSU-TV by the end of 2025. According to WSU Insider, the deficit follows House and Senate Republicans’ passage of President Donald Trump’s recission package that clawed back $1.1 billion in funding already allocated by Congress for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This comes on the heels of Cascade PBS in Seattle announcing cuts to 17 employees, including ceasing production of long-form written journalism. On October 1st, CPB officially began to close down.

Sen. Cantwell issued the following statement: “At a time when we need more local journalism, now is not the time for short-sighted funding cuts that mean Washingtonians are going to lose vital sources of news and emergency information like KWSU-TV and at Cascade PBS. We must push back on this Administration’s continued efforts to denigrate and weaken the free press and local journalism.”

Previously, NWPB received $1.95 million in annual funding from CPB, including a $1.2 million Community Service Grant for direct operational funding. More information on NWPB’s budget impacts is available HERE.

NWPB has the potential to reach more than 3.6 million people in 44 counties throughout Washington state and parts of Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. Approximately half of the population reached receives public radio broadcast signals exclusively through NWPB. Northwest Public Broadcasting stations are licensed to Washington State University.

Last month, Seattle’s PBS station Cascade PBS also announced that it would no longer produce long-form journalism -- resulting in the layoffs of 17 staffers – due to cuts in federal funding. Until recently, Cascade PBS received a $3.5 million Community Service Grant, accounting for almost 7% of the station’s total revenue. Cascade PBS serves over 100,000 members through television and streaming, operating KCTS in Seattle and KYVE in Yakima and central Washington.

Since July, over 400 journalists and support staff have been laid off at public media organizations nationwide. Without these stations, millions of Americans - particularly in rural areas - will be cut off from local newsrooms, critical coverage of their communities, and the emergency information that can save lives during wildfires, floods, and other disasters.

Sen. Cantwell has consistently fought against Trump’s attacks on free speech and local journalism. In June 2025, she released a snapshot report highlighting how critical public broadcasters are in responding to emergencies and public safety events. In rural areas, public broadcasters may be the sole source of information during emergencies, leaving them disproportionately impacted by federal funding cuts to CPB.

When the recissions package was first unveiled, Sen. Cantwell released a statement warning that 1,500 local broadcasting stations across the country, including 14 in the State of Washington, are at risk of shutting down.

In May, Sen. Cantwell joined Rick Steves, longtime American Public Television host of Rick Steves’ Europe travel series and host of Travel with Rick Steves on public radio, in blasting the Trump Administration for its assault on CBP.