North Dakota’s Prairie Public is the latest to announce job cuts as public media organizations officially begin a new fiscal year without federal funding.
Prairie Public’s Oct. 1 announcement is the latest in a series of job and program cuts following July’s congressional vote to rescind funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The funding for the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years had been approved in early 2024.
The exact extent of the reductions is difficult to calculate because few organizations have released specific numbers and some cuts have only been reported by other media, not the groups themselves. Some public media outlets have given indications that more cuts may be ahead.
Some announcements specifically cited the federal cuts while others avoided pinning the changes directly to the action in Washington.
Here’s a roundup of announcements that have been made so far by public media organizations in the Upper Midwest:
Iowa
Iowa Public Radio said in an email to supporters following the July vote that it would not fill open positions, downsize its offices and studios, and delay critical infrastructure maintenance.
Iowa PBS announced that the cuts “will result in staff reductions, program reductions and service reductions over time.”
Michigan
WLUC and WZMQ reported in July that Northern Michigan University NPR outlet WNMU-FM/90.1 and PBS station WNMU/13 (Marquette) were reaching out to legislators about possible state funding following the federal cuts.
Minnesota
Minnesota Public Radio reported that its parent company, American Public Media Group, laid off 30 employees across all of its organizations, which also include operations in New York City and Los Angeles. Some of the cuts impacted MPR’s “YourClassical” and “Current” networks.
The Star Tribune reported that Twin Cities PBS (KTCA/KTCI) cut some positions in July, but the exact number of jobs was not released.
PBS North (WDSE/8 Duluth and WRPT/31 Hibbing) canceled its longtime weekly public affairs program, “Almanac North.” (Update: While an initial news release cited “shifts in available funding,” a statement from management during the show’s final episode clarified that federal funding cuts did not factor into the cancelation.) It separately announced plans to launch a new business-focused program called “In Business with Almanac North.”
Nebraska
Nebraska Public Media, which operates statewide NPR and PBS networks, has said the cuts “will lead to changes in the coming months” and that it will seek to preserve programs and services “to the fullest extent possible.” The network is seeking to raise an additional $2 million in pledges by the end of the year.
North Dakota
Prairie Public, which operates statewide NPR and PBS networks, announced Oct. 1 that it has eliminated 12 positions in response to federal and state funding cuts. The cuts represent about 18% of the former staff. The network said “some…programs or services may be reduced or eliminated” but has not yet announced specific changes.
South Dakota
South Dakota Public Broadcasting, which operates statewide NPR and PBS networks, announced plans in August to cut 20 positions. Additionally, a daily radio news magazine and monthly TV public affairs show will end. The job cuts represent 25% of SDPB’s workforce and would be effective Oct. 31 unless alternate funding can be identified. The Friends of SDPB launched the “Bison Campaign,” which has so far raised 75% of its $2 million goal.
Lakota Communications’ KILI/90.1 (Porcupine) was featured in a New York Times article about the cuts, with the paper reporting that the station was selling old records while it looks for grants and donations.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) announced after the vote to eliminate CPB funding that he had secured a commitment from the White House to redirect $9.4 million in “unused climate change money” to tribal broadcasters. Exact stations that would receive funding have not been announced. Rounds told the South Dakota Searchlight in August that the grant program would be running by October.
Wisconsin
A month before the congressional vote, Wisconsin Public Radio cut at least 15 jobs and canceled four weekly programs. WPR Director Sarah Ashworth cited “increased expenses, flat revenues, potential funding cuts, and the urgent need to adapt our service to meet audiences’ habits and needs.”
UW-Milwaukee’s WUWM/89.7 announced in August that it would “be able to navigate this current moment without immediate changes to staffing or programming” due to “the generosity of major donors and careful financial planning throughout the years.”
Lac Courte Oreilles’ WOJB/88.9 (Reserve) extended its pledge drive after losing more than 40% of its funding, according to a report by PBS Wisconsin and ICT. Wisconsin Public Radio also reported on the impact to WOJB and WXPR/91.7 (Rhinelander), noting that WXPR had reduced its local news efforts to one reporter in anticipation of funding cuts. WJFW-TV also reported on WXPR.
If you have information on additional announcements by public media organizations, please email jonellis@northpine.com.