An urgent update regarding federal funding

The following letter from WBUR CEO Margaret Low was shared with WBUR donors on Friday, May 2, 2025. It has been reproduced here with minimal edits.

Dear Friend,

As you may know, just before midnight last night, The White House issued an Executive Order calling on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding NPR and PBS. The CPB is a private nonprofit (not a government agency) that was created by Congress in 1967. It partially funds PBS, NPR and Member stations like WBUR. For more than 50 years, Congress has provided funding for public broadcasting — with bipartisan support. The Executive Order accuses public media of biased coverage and says the CPB must cancel existing and future support.

The E.O. goes on to say that the CPB must also prohibit Member stations, like WBUR, from using federal funds to pay for NPR programs like Morning Edition, All Things Considered and even Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

NPR says it plans to challenge the E.O. using all available means. With that said, the full impact of the order isn’t completely clear. We will learn more as the day unfolds. We do know that the loss of federal funding could leave millions of people, in red states and blue, without access to public radio — often the only source of deeply reported news and information in communities across the country. So vital in an era of disinformation and division.

WBUR would be hard hit by the loss of federal funding. Nearly $1.6 million of our annual budget comes directly from the CPB. And without federal funding many of the hundreds of stations that air Here & Now and On Point, our two national shows, might not be able to afford these programs. This means we could lose millions of dollars more in syndication fees. We’re already drawing on limited reserves to fuel our work and, without those dollars, our service to this community will be profoundly diminished.

It is a perilous moment for NPR and for WBUR. We will do everything in our power to preserve the quality and independence of our coverage that millions of people rely on every day. We are grateful for the enduring generosity of so many people like you. It’s clear that a sustainable path forward will require even more support from our community.

If you value our free, high-quality journalism and in-depth storytelling here are ways you can help:

Thank you for reading this note and thank you for your support.

With appreciation,
Margaret Low
Chief Executive Officer, WBUR