CPB shuts down, raising questions about PBS

Due to funding cuts by the U.S. Congress and the Trump Administration, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) officially shut its doors on Monday, January 5, 2026. With the closure of the CPB, many are concerned about what this could mean for PBS.

Scott Woelfel, General Manager at Arizona PBS, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss how the closure will affect Arizona PBS.

CPB’s board voted to dissolve the non-profit on Monday, after losing funding from the federal government as part of a recessions package passed by congress in July of 2025. While the dissolving of CPB puts an end to 58 years of funding and work by the corporation, the impacts of the lost federal funds were felt long before this vote.

 “We felt the impact last year,” Woelfel said. “We normally would have gotten our payment, which is around $2.3 million from CPB, in around October or November. And so that did not happen this year, and of course we knew that in July it wouldn’t happen.”

The lost federal funds amounted to about 13% of Arizona PBS’ budget, according to Woelfel. The station has seen an increase in donations the past few months, helping the station deal with the loss in funding.

“People have stepped up,” Woelfel said. “We’ve seen an increase in new donors, we’ve seen an increase in existing donors and how much their giving, and our major donors have really stepped up in a big way.”

If you are interested in donating to Arizona PBS, find more information here.