Rural news stations like WTIP face largest losses if Congress cuts public media funding
Northern News Now
[{'start': '0.640', 'end': '4.400', 'text': 'A local radio station in Grand Marray'}, {'start': '2.720', 'end': '6.080', 'text': "might lose a quarter of next year's"}, {'start': '4.400', 'end': '8.800', 'text': "budget. They're caught in the crossfire"}, {'start': '6.080', 'end': '10.320', 'text': 'of federal effort to defund larger media'}, {'start': '8.800', 'end': '12.000', 'text': 'outlets that President Trump and'}, {'start': '10.320', 'end': '13.840', 'text': 'congressional Republicans view as'}, {'start': '12.000', 'end': '16.320', 'text': 'left-leaning. Northern News Now, Safia'}, {'start': '13.840', 'end': '18.160', 'text': 'Lobber heard from WTIP staff in Grand'}, {'start': '16.320', 'end': '21.199', 'text': 'Marray on what they call the daunting'}, {'start': '18.160', 'end': '22.880', 'text': 'possibility of losing essential funds.'}, {'start': '21.199', 'end': '25.199', 'text': 'The only daily news outlet in Cook'}, {'start': '22.880', 'end': '27.359', 'text': 'County, WTIP serves as both a hub of'}, {'start': '25.199', 'end': '29.840', 'text': 'community and a source of critical local'}, {'start': '27.359', 'end': '32.000', 'text': 'news both online and on the radio.'}, {'start': '29.840', 'end': '34.079', 'text': "There's nobody else covering the"}, {'start': '32.000', 'end': '35.760', 'text': 'hospital board or the city meetings or'}, {'start': '34.079', 'end': '37.600', 'text': 'the county meetings. And so without'}, {'start': '35.760', 'end': '40.399', 'text': 'that, the community loses a lot more'}, {'start': '37.600', 'end': '42.000', 'text': 'than just some fantastic programming.'}, {'start': '40.399', 'end': '43.920', 'text': 'The Corporation for Public Broadcasting'}, {'start': '42.000', 'end': '45.600', 'text': 'is a private nonprofit providing funds'}, {'start': '43.920', 'end': '47.360', 'text': 'to hundreds of local public media'}, {'start': '45.600', 'end': '50.079', 'text': 'stations across the country that all'}, {'start': '47.360', 'end': '51.920', 'text': 'stand to lose should CPB be defunded.'}, {'start': '50.079', 'end': '53.760', 'text': 'While larger organizations like PBS and'}, {'start': '51.920', 'end': '55.600', 'text': 'NPR have been getting a lot of national'}, {'start': '53.760', 'end': '57.760', 'text': "attention, it's actually smaller news"}, {'start': '55.600', 'end': '59.600', 'text': 'outlets like WTIP here in Grammar Ray'}, {'start': '57.760', 'end': '61.760', 'text': "that might be hit the hardest. That's"}, {'start': '59.600', 'end': '63.920', 'text': 'because CPB funds tend to make up a'}, {'start': '61.760', 'end': '66.159', 'text': "larger portion of their budgets. It's"}, {'start': '63.920', 'end': '68.080', 'text': 'not great for any public media source to'}, {'start': '66.159', 'end': '70.080', 'text': "be losing funding, but it's going to"}, {'start': '68.080', 'end': '72.400', 'text': 'impact smaller stations and rural'}, {'start': '70.080', 'end': '73.840', 'text': 'stations in particular at a higher'}, {'start': '72.400', 'end': '77.040', 'text': 'capacity. The funds at risk were'}, {'start': '73.840', 'end': '80.000', 'text': 'approved in 2023. If rescended, WTIP'}, {'start': '77.040', 'end': '83.439', 'text': 'would lose about 170,000 from its 2025'}, {'start': '80.000', 'end': '85.600', 'text': 'budget and roughly 240,000 from its 2026'}, {'start': '83.439', 'end': '87.680', 'text': 'budget. A scary thought for their 11'}, {'start': '85.600', 'end': '89.200', 'text': 'employees. Executive Director Matthew'}, {'start': '87.680', 'end': '91.119', 'text': "Brown says they'd need to try to fill"}, {'start': '89.200', 'end': '92.640', 'text': 'that gap through fundraising. We'}, {'start': '91.119', 'end': '95.759', 'text': 'definitely hope not to lose any'}, {'start': '92.640', 'end': '97.600', 'text': 'employees and keep everybody employed.'}, {'start': '95.759', 'end': '100.000', 'text': "That's one of our main things. So, we'll"}, {'start': '97.600', 'end': '101.759', 'text': 'have to tighten up some things and it is'}, {'start': '100.000', 'end': '103.200', 'text': 'pretty scary to think about losing that'}, {'start': '101.759', 'end': '105.280', 'text': 'much money. Brown says he remains'}, {'start': '103.200', 'end': '107.439', 'text': 'cautiously optimistic, counting on the'}, {'start': '105.280', 'end': '110.320', 'text': 'support of the community they serve.'}, {'start': '107.439', 'end': '113.040', 'text': 'Local voices like ours is really what'}, {'start': '110.320', 'end': '115.040', 'text': 'brings the news to our listener members.'}, {'start': '113.040', 'end': '117.920', 'text': 'In Grammaray, Sophia Lober, Northern'}, {'start': '115.040', 'end': '119.119', 'text': 'News Now. NPR reported a White House'}, {'start': '117.920', 'end': '120.960', 'text': 'official confirmed the Trump'}, {'start': '119.119', 'end': '123.079', 'text': 'administration has drafted a memo'}, {'start': '120.960', 'end': '125.840', 'text': 'proposing an end to federal funding for'}, {'start': '123.079', 'end': '127.840', 'text': 'CPB. Once Congress receives that memo,'}, {'start': '125.840', 'end': '130.080', 'text': "they'll have 45 days to act on the"}, {'start': '127.840', 'end': '132.480', 'text': 'proposal. Also concerned about CPB'}, {'start': '130.080', 'end': '135.120', 'text': 'funding, DUTH based PBS Northland is'}, {'start': '132.480', 'end': '136.800', 'text': 'affiliated radio station. They recently'}, {'start': '135.120', 'end': '138.959', 'text': 'held an event railing viewer and'}, {'start': '136.800', 'end': '140.480', 'text': 'listener support. Staff hope to increase'}, {'start': '138.959', 'end': '143.040', 'text': 'awareness of the importance of federal'}, {'start': '140.480', 'end': '145.280', 'text': 'support for smaller markets, encouraging'}, {'start': '143.040', 'end': '147.360', 'text': 'attendees to speak out against potential'}, {'start': '145.280', 'end': '149.440', 'text': "cuts. With the Trump administration's"}, {'start': '147.360', 'end': '152.080', 'text': "memo looming, staff say they've been"}, {'start': '149.440', 'end': '153.840', 'text': 'hearing a lot of concern from viewers.'}, {'start': '152.080', 'end': '155.360', 'text': "We're getting contacted quite a bit of"}, {'start': '153.840', 'end': '157.519', 'text': 'from people that are asking, "Well, will'}, {'start': '155.360', 'end': '160.319', 'text': 'you are you going away?" you know, and'}, {'start': '157.519', 'end': '164.400', 'text': 'the answer to that is no, but this would'}, {'start': '160.319', 'end': '168.319', 'text': 'significantly change uh what PBS North'}, {'start': '164.400', 'end': '170.800', 'text': 'and the North look like. Like WTIP staff'}, {'start': '168.319', 'end': '173.200', 'text': 'say they depend more on CPB funds than'}, {'start': '170.800', 'end': '174.560', 'text': 'larger market stations. They add all'}, {'start': '173.200', 'end': '176.319', 'text': "federal and state funding they've"}, {'start': '174.560', 'end': '178.800', 'text': "received is based on what they're able"}, {'start': '176.319', 'end': '180.640', 'text': 'to fund raise locally. They hope to keep'}, {'start': '178.800', 'end': '182.400', 'text': 'that public, private partnership going,'}, {'start': '180.640', 'end': '186.319', 'text': 'asking viewers to reach out to their'}, {'start': '182.400', 'end': '186.319', 'text': 'congressional representatives. is'}]