DETROIT – Detroit‘s public radio station WDET could lose half a million dollars in funding and support services if President Donald Trump signs a bill rescinding federal money for public broadcasting.
The legislation would eliminate $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), threatening the operations of public media outlets nationwide.
For WDET, this translates to a potential loss of $300,000 in direct grant funding and an additional $200,000 in shared services and resources.
“It is terrifying. It is a form of censorship in a lot of ways,” said WDET host Ryan Patrick Hooper. “That funding has been going on for 40, 50 years.”
CPB is authorized by Congress in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
WDET general manager Mary Zatina said the cuts would create significant operational challenges for the station.
“That’s a lot of money and a big gap to close in a short amount of time,” she explained.
The funding reduction represents approximately 6% of WDET’s overall budget, according to Zatina.
The station would not only lose direct grant money but also valuable in-kind services - support and resources shared between public media stations across the country.
The potential cuts come as part of a larger $9 billion rescission package that passed both chambers of Congress along party lines.
The legislation specifically targets the CPB, which serves as the primary funding conduit for NPR, PBS, and their member stations nationwide.
To address the potential funding gap, WDET has launched a membership drive aimed at strengthening local support.
“I am a pretty optimistic person in general. Our aspirations as a station are to grow and do more,” Zatina said.
The station is currently halfway toward its immediate goal of recruiting 1,000 new members.
“It’s a scary time, and it puts more pressure on our listeners to have to step up,” Hooper said. “But I hope that it can be something that really connects us and activates us.”
Local 4 reached out to Republican representatives, John James and Tom Barrett, for comment on the impact on local public media and is awaiting a response.