KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Leadership at Kansas City’s PBS and NPR affiliates offered swift reaction Friday to President Trump’s order to cancel federal funding for public broadcasting.
The executive order called on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cancel any existing direct funding allowable by law and decline future funding.
LINK | Read the executive order, titled 'Ending taxpayer subsidization of biased media'
Kliff Kuehl, president and CEO of Kansas City PBS, Flatland and 90.9FM The Bridge released a statement Friday morning about the cuts.
“The executive order to end federal funding for public broadcasters, if successful, is a devastating blow to the free and universal access to educational and cultural content that Kansas City PBS and peer stations provide,” Kuehl said. “We will continue to serve our community and deliver quality programming despite these challenges.”
KCUR-FM, Kansas City’s NPR affiliate, posted news of the executive order on its website Friday morning.
“While it is not yet known what direct impacts this order may have on NPR and PBS affiliates, it is clear that the threat to public media remains,” KCUR General Manager Sarah Morris said. “As we have said and will continue to say: No matter what happens in D.C., KCUR is here for the Kansas City region, thanks to strong support from our community.”
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