Dear WEMU Friends,
Last night, President Trump signed an executive order titled Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to prohibit both direct and indirect federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
From a legal standpoint, it's important to note that executive orders are no different than a press release for practical purposes. In fact, CPB issued a statement this morning stating that they are "not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s authority. Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government."
So, rest assured that a bipartisan Congress considered our editorial independence paramount when they originally authorized the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
What the order does—and doesn’t—attempt to do:
-It targets federal dollars only. Private donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and member support continue to be the foundation of WEMU’s near and long-term sustainability. (This means YOU keep us going strong!)
-It leaves public media's overall congressional appropriation unchanged—at least for now. How any federal funds are reallocated after removing NPR and PBS is not yet defined but is sure to have significant impacts on WEMU and all local public media organizations who rely on these national-to-local partnerships to provide some of the content you know and love.
-It does not close local public media stations. However, because most stations rely on federal funding through Community Service Grants to pay for infrastructure, emergency‐alert services, and local journalism, the financial ripple effects could be significant, especially for smaller stations who serve more rural communities.
How federal support fits into WEMU’s budget:
Federal dollars come to WEMU through an annual grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that pays for one full time position, half our bill to NPR and other assorted programming costs, and supports the emergency alert system. WEMU is the primary EAS station for Washtenaw and Lenawee Counties. Those grants account for about 8 percent of our annual operating budget, or roughly $135,000 each year. The remaining 82% of our funding comes from individual donors, foundations, corporate sponsorships, and Eastern Michigan University.
Our mission, vision, and values continue to guide everything we do:
Nothing in this executive order alters why we exist: to provide hyper-local news and information and locally hosted and curated music to Washtenaw County and surrounding areas in order to build trust and strengthen communities. Everything we do is in the spirit of helping to create a service where everyone feels seen and heard.
How you can help right now:
Stay informed. Continue to check wemu.org and our social media for updates as this situation plays out.
Make your voice heard. If you value free, public‐service media, contact your representatives or visit Protect My Public Media, via wemu.org, to share your story.
Share our updates via your own social media pages and networks. There is strength in numbers.
Continue your financial support.
WEMU has served Washtenaw County for six decades, through changing technologies and political climates alike. This executive order and other funding threats to public media's ability to operate present real challenges, but our commitment to providing our community with trusted local content and experiences, opportunities for musical growth and discovery, and deep community connections is unwavering. We will continue to stand with—and report to—you, the users of our service, ensuring that everyone is seen, heard, valued, and informed.
Thank you for standing with us. We need and appreciate you, always.
Molly