Republican-backed rescissions package slashes millions from regional NPR, PBS affiliates that broadcast across Northern New York
By Brenne Sheehan
A federal rescissions package recently passed by Congress cuts funding to public broadcasting affiliates across the country, including stations in Northern New York.
Passed by the Senate Friday, pending President Donald Trump’s approval, the package rescinds all funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBS). That congressional entity distributes federal funding to public media outlets, such as National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service.
In Northern New York, affected outlets include North Country Public Radio (NCPR) and WAMC radio stations Mountain Lake PBS, and WPBS television stations.The package will also rescind $1.3 million from WCNY, an PBS affiliate based in Syracuse, known for shows like “The Capitol Pressroom” and “Dispatches from Planet Albany.”.
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An alert on NCPR’s website Friday morning warned listeners about the bill’s passage, announcing that it would affect $650,000 in NCPR’s budget over the next two years.
“We have been preparing for this moment,” said NCPR Station Director Mitch Tiech. “We were optimistic there would be people in Congress who understand and appreciate the important role we and others, especially rural stations, play in the media landscape and the communities we serve, but it didn’t take us by surprise.”
Teich said the cuts will most likely affect the station’s purchasing and licensing of national NPR segments, which Teich says will be pulled from other parts of the budget including individual donations and corporate sponsors.
“It would be absolutely a last resort to look at personnel as a means to save,” Tiech said. “There’s nobody at the station that doesn’t do a valuable job. Essentially, everybody is an essential worker.”
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In an online post published Friday morning, Mountain Lake PBS said the cuts make up a third of the station’s budget and will impact every part of their operations.
“Let’s be clear: Mountain Lake PBS will not go dark,” the post states. “Our mission is unchanged. We believe this region deserves quality public media — and with your support, we’ll continue delivering it. This isn’t a defeat. It’s a challenge, and we’re determined to meet it.”
In a similar vein, Teich is certain NCPR will continue on, even if it means making adjustments.
“One of the great things about living here and about the people that I work with is that we’re all problem solvers,” Teich said. “This is a problem that’s been put in front of us, and we’re all rolling up our sleeves. We have a really strong sense of mission, and we’re going to get through it.
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Stefanik praises NPR cuts, calls reporting ‘defamatory’
In a Friday morning press release, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents New York’s 21st Congressional District, said she fulfilled a promise she kept to constituents “to save the American taxpayer $9 billion of unobligated bloated spending,” including NPR, by voting for the bill.
“NPR and NCPR-affiliated reporters continually publish false and defamatory stories,” the release states.
In the release, she says that NCPR “disgracefully” reported that she was responsible for the attack against the U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband in 2022, referring to a thread of X posts containing a political analysis by an NCPR correspondent Zach Hirsch suggesting that political rhetoric led to violence.
“To be clear, there is no evidence that Stefanik directly inspired this any other act of violence,” Hirsch writes in the thread. “The point is that political rhetoric has real-world consequences.”
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She also accused former NCPR News Director Martha Foley of misusing a taxpayer-funded email account during her 2021 Democratic campaign in the 21st District, which Tiech says is not remotely funded by taxpayers, a PBC audit found.
“Above all, the thing that is most disturbing and disheartening is the fact that anyone, whether it’s an elected official or anybody, would celebrate the very potential loss of jobs that real people might be facing because of these cuts,” Teich said. “The people that work for NCPR are real people who live in towns and villages in the North Country, their kids go to North Country schools, and they shop at small businesses around the region.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Photo at top by North Country Public Radio
The problem that Elise Stefanik, Donald Trump, and other Republican elected officials have with public radio and public television is that they report the facts. And facts make Republicans look bad.
Rather than try to silence public media, an attempt that will fail, Republicans should just start being honest and stop their lying.
Public radio and television are an important resource for the North Country, as well as the rest of the U.S. Here’s why:
— Community Focus: Public media stations are locally managed and tailor their programming to meet the unique needs of their communities, ensuring diverse content that reflects local interests.
— Educational and Informative Content: Public media offers a range of programming that includes educational content, children’s programming, and coverage of local government meetings, which are often underrepresented in commercial media.
— Cultural Preservation: Public broadcasting plays a key role in preserving cultural heritage and providing access to arts and educational programs that might not be profitable for commercial outlets.
— Service to Rural Areas: Public media is particularly important in rural areas where commercial media may not be viable. The loss of federal funding could lead to significant cuts in services, disproportionately affecting these communities.
— Diverse Voices: Public broadcasting provides a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, contributing to a more informed and engaged citizenry.
Our local PBS and NPR affiliated broadcasting stations have done a great job in serving the public. I hope they can continue to do so in the future.