The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has announced that its board of directors voted to dissolve the organization after 58 years of service.
The decision followed Congress’ rescission of CPB’s federal funding. CPB had announced that it would begin winding down operations this past September. It had still been operating with a staff of approximately 30 members.
CPB’s board said the decision is its “final act” supporting public media. In a release, the organization cited vulnerability to “future political manipulation or misuse” that a defunded CPB might incur, which it said would threaten public broadcasting’s independence “and the trust audiences place in it.”
It also cited the potential for staff and board members to be subjected to “legal exposure from bad-faith actors.”
A CPB spokesperson said that while an actual stop date has not been determined, the organization will complete the distribution of all remaining funds in accordance with Congress’ intent.
“Today’s decision to dissolve the Corporation for Public Broadcasting marks a grave loss for the American public,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said in a Monday release. Markey described the nation’s public broadcasting system as the “crown jewel” of U.S. media.
The dissolving of CPB continues a tumultuous last year for public media. In November, CPB and NPR reached a settlement after NPR alleged that CPB withheld federal funds appropriated by Congress for public media distribution.
“Public media remains essential to a healthy democracy,” Patricia Harrison, who has been CPB’s president and CEO since 2005, said in the release. “Our hope is that future leaders and generations will recognize its value, defend its independence and continue the work of ensuring that trustworthy, educational and community-centered media remains accessible to all Americans.”
CPB will also provide support to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting to continue digitizing and preserving historic content. Its own archives — dating back to the organization’s founding — will be preserved in partnership with the University of Maryland and made accessible to the public.
First authorized by Congress under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, CPB said that it helped build and sustain a nationwide public media system of approximately 1,500 locally owned and operated public radio and television stations.
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