In this WYSO Weekend excerpt, WYSO General Manager Luke Dennis recalls the history of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 creating federal subsidies for public radio and TV stations. He also addresses past and current threats to defund public media, including a current House-approved rescissions package that could claw back $1.1 billion in funding for stations nationally and have a significant impact on WYSO's budget.
Jerry Kenney: Before we wrap up the program today, though, we did want to address some things that are happening in the way of national funding for public media. And we've got WYSO's General Manager Luke Dennis to talk to us a little bit about it. Luke, thanks so much for being here.
Luke Dennis: My pleasure.
Kenney: So if you can explain the situation that is currently underway.
Dennis: Sure. Let's go back to 1967. That's when Lyndon Johnson and Congress passed the Public Broadcasting Act. And that act created the Corporation for Public Broadcast, which became the vehicle to provide federal subsidies to public radio and television stations around the country. And it was decided to do that because public media was viewed as a public good, because its core values are education, connecting people, reaching underserved communities, and making sure that good information and education is always free and available to all Americans. So that funding has been in place since 1967.
But you probably remember there have been many battles over it. I think the most serious threat before this current one that we're living through now was (former Speaker of the House) Newt Gingrich and that Republican majority Congress was seeking to zero it out, but they were unsuccessful because there's really always been bipartisan support for public media in our country.
Until this moment, when it's become part of the culture wars and President Trump and actually (U.S. Rep.) Marjorie Taylor Greene, even before President Trump issued an executive order, (U.S. Rep.) Marjorie Taylor Green held a Congressional subcommittee hearing alleging that public media is full of bias and that it should be defunded. So where we're sitting today is that, yes, there was an executive order from President Trump that insisted that no federal funds flow to public radio or television. But above and beyond the executive order, the clawing back of already allocated funds was included in a rescissions package this past week that was approved by the House. So the next move is that it would go to the Senate, and if approved, it would claw back $1.1 billion that's sitting in the Treasury waiting to be distributed to stations in fiscal years '26 and '27.
Kenney: And so that would mean that we would have to take a look at the budget that is already set in place, that this radio station has set in place. Is that correct?
Dennis: That's correct. That's the immediate impact on WYSO is that before, we were planning to incorporate that federal subsidy into next year's budget. We have enjoyed between 9 and 10% of our operating budget coming from the federal subsidy. It's great. It is unrestricted. We purchase things like electricity, and we pay staff with it. So, yes, Jerry, we have to immediately adjust and come up with either expense reductions or revenue increases to deal with this surprise. And it's not a surprise, you know what I mean? But I guess I kept thinking, 'Oh, it'll never happen. There's always been bipartisan support."
Kenney: So I know you're being very positive in our conversations about all of this, but during this program, we hear productions from the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices. We hear from WYSO news reporters and the features that they provide for our on-air coverage. What could that mean for what we're able to bring to the public?
Dennis: What it means is that we will make every effort to increase the amount of support that comes from listeners to replace the federal subsidy. We know that we live in a generous community. We know there's momentum and excitement for the future of WYSO. We've been experiencing growth now for many years. We're poised to move into a new facility in Yellow Springs. We just opened that beautiful studio in downtown Dayton. And so my belief is our audience will step up and bridge the gap between what we were planning to get and which now might be taken away. And when you look at the stats, we know that normally one in 10 listeners of public radio donate. And that's true for us right now. But I also know that because this is an exceptional community and because there is that excitement for the future of WYSO, our listeners have been hearing me talk on the air during this mini drive about no matter what happens in Washington, you are our most reliable form of support. So either renew that lapsed membership or add a couple of dollars to your sustaining membership. And I actually believe that we're going to get there. I don't think I'm naive. I don't think I am being Pollyanna-ish about it. We will recover from this, and we'll remain strong and stable.
The stations that I worry about are the ones that serve vast rural regions of the country where they have great expense with infrastructure. They have multiple towers. They're called repeaters that send the FM signal over rocky terrain or vast stretches of terrain. For stations like that, the federal subsidy could be as much as half of their budget. They might close their doors. They might lay off all their local staff and just become a pass-through for the national program. And Jerry, you and I know that the most exciting thing about an NPR station is the local stuff. It's the local team that has been assembled to share the voices of that local community. So I do worry about that. But in terms of here in Dayton, Ohio, I believe that our audience is going to step up.
Kenney: Well, we just finished a couple of days of fiscal year-end fundraising, so I can tell people if they do want to donate, they can go to our website at wyso.org, hit that donate button, or you can also text the code WYSO to the number 44321. Anything else you want to say to listeners right now?
Dennis: I think it's important to note that in our region, we do have bipartisan support for public media. I can't speak for Congressman Turner. I don't know why he voted no on the rescissions package, but I know that he did. And I know there was really strong advocacy coming from this local region, a lot of phone calls and emails. So I have to believe that he heard that. And historically, we've seen that he does support public radio and television. So, I just want our audience to know that bipartisan support is not a fictitious thing. Like here in our community, it seems like we have that. And we are here to serve every member of this community. It is not partisan radio. It's not blue or red. So when I read that Congressman Turner voted against it, I was full of gratitude for him. And I just want to make sure our audience knows that.
