Public Media Layoffs Tracker

Job cuts, closures and other changes across public media since federal funding ended. Each event links to its source.

555

JOBS CUT SINCE JULY 18, 2025

From 45 layoffs at 43 organizations · Last updated October 5, 2026

2station closuresStations that ended operationsplus 1 pending

3mergers and salesStations absorbed or transferredplus 4 pending

8service cutbacksDropped NPR or PBS, or cut broadcastsplus 1 pending

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MONTH BY MONTH

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Jobs cutClosureOther changePending

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September 2026

5 jobs cut in 1 layoff · 3 other changes

Sep 1Merger
KSMQ
On September 1st, 2026, KSMQ consolidated with Minnesota PBS, formerly Twin Cities PBS.
Sep 17Merger
PBS Western Reserve
“Ideastream Public Media and PBS Western Reserve announced Thursday that they intend to merge. The boards of each nonprofit voted to approve a merger agreement. Both organizations are working to finalize the transaction, starting with filing for a license transfer with the FCC and completing a merger filing with the state of Ohio.”
Pending
Sep 30LayoffsSale or transfer
WPSU5 jobs cut
“WHYY and Pennsylvania State University finalized an agreement Wednesday, in which WHYY will acquire WPSU, the public media station that serves State College and two dozen counties in central Pennsylvania.”

Pending events have been announced or approved but are not yet complete.

Jobs cut counts only announced layoffs that report a number of jobs. Events appear in the month of the date in our records.

TYPE

Showing 63 of 63 events, newest first

DATETYPEORGANIZATIONJOBSSTATUS

Sep 30, 2026LayoffsSale or transfer

WPSU“WHYY and Pennsylvania State University finalized an agreement Wednesday, in which WHYY will acquire WPSU, the public media station that serves State College and two dozen counties in central Pennsylvania.”

Sep 17, 2026Merger

PBS Western Reserve“Ideastream Public Media and PBS Western Reserve announced Thursday that they intend to merge. The boards of each nonprofit voted to approve a merger agreement. Both organizations are working to finalize the transaction, starting with filing for a license transfer with the FCC and completing a merger filing with the state of Ohio.”

–Pending

Sep 1, 2026Merger

KSMQOn September 1st, 2026, KSMQ consolidated with Minnesota PBS, formerly Twin Cities PBS.

–

Jul 30, 2026Closure

WEFS“WEFS-TV will suspend operations following the loss of critical funding sources.”

–

Jul 6, 2026Reduced service

WLPR“Lakeshore Public Media announced today that beginning July 6, its radio station WLPR 89.1 FM will simulcast WBAA News 101.3 FM, securing continued access to trusted public radio programming in Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland.”

–

Jul 1, 2026Closure

OETAOklahoma lawmakers failed to re-authorize the Oklahome Educational Television Authority, triggering a 1-year sunset that began on July 1st, 2026.

–Pending

Jul 1, 2026Dropped NPR or PBS

WSREWSRE ended their network affiliation with PBS on July 1st, 2026.

–

Jul 1, 2026Sale or transfer

NJ PBSWNET transferred ownsership of NJ PBS to Montclair State University on July 1st, 2026.

–

Jun 30, 2026Merger

Community Radio for Northern ColoradoRocky Mountain Public Media has agreed to acquire Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

–Pending

Jun 30, 2026Dropped NPR or PBS

WVUT“Vincennes University has announced that WVUT-TV will conclude its affiliation with PBS, effective June 30, 2026.”

–

Jun 11, 2026Sale or transfer

WLVR“Lehigh University has entered into an agreement to sell the Federal Communications Commission broadcast license for 91.3 WLVR-FM to its long-standing partner Lehigh Valley Public Media (LVPM).”

–Pending

Jun 10, 2026Merger

New England Public Media“The Federal Communications Commission has approved the merger between GBH and Springfield-based New England Public Media, forming a media outfit likely to reach at least 1.3 million readers, viewers and listeners statewide each week.”

–Pending

May 27, 2026Layoffs

NPR

May 15, 2026Reduced service

WEIUWEIU ended over-the-air broadcasting on May 15th, 2026.

–

May 14, 2026Layoffs

Indiana Public Media

Feb 4, 2026Reduced service

WNEDBuffalo Toronto Public Media's FCC application to convert WNED-FM to a commercial station was approved in February 2026.

–Pending

Jan 31, 2026Layoffs

WFSU

Jan 16, 2026Layoffs

PBS Utah

Jan 16, 2026Layoffs

KUER

Jan 16, 2026Layoffs

Lehigh Valley Public Media

Jan 9, 2026Layoffs

WOUB

Jan 6, 2026Layoffs

WXXI

Jan 5, 2026Layoffs

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Jan 1, 2026Layoffs

KYUK

Jan 1, 2026Layoffs

WGBH

Dec 31, 2025Closure

KWSU“Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB) announced that KWSU-TV in Pullman will end operations on December 31, 2025. This decision is part of NWPB’s plan to realign its budget during financial challenges and after the federal government rescinded all public broadcasting funding — approximately $2 million annually previously granted to NWPB.”

–

Dec 18, 2025Layoffs

WFHB

Nov 13, 2025Layoffs

WORT

Nov 4, 2025Layoffs

PBS SoCal

Oct 17, 2025Layoffs

KCRW

Oct 2, 2025Layoffs

WKU Public Media

Oct 1, 2025Dropped NPR or PBS

KMUNKMUN ended their network affiliation with National Public Radio on October 1st, 2025.

–

Oct 1, 2025Dropped NPR or PBS

WLRH“Effective October 1, 2025, public radio station 89.3 FM WLRH will no longer be airing nationally syndicated programming content from National Public Radio (NPR). WLRH will be adding more locally-produced news and programming content.”

–

Oct 1, 2025Reduced service

KCPB“Beginning October 1st 2025, KCPB will go temporarily silent for 6 to 12 months. This pause comes due to ongoing funding challenges and gaps in programming.”

–

Oct 1, 2025Layoffs

Prarie Public

Oct 1, 2025Layoffs

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Sep 29, 2025Dropped NPR or PBS

WKGCWKGC ended their network affiliation with National Public Radio on September 29th, 2025.

–

Sep 26, 2025Layoffs

WTTW

Sep 22, 2025Layoffs

Cascade PBS

Sep 22, 2025Layoffs

KIXE

Sep 17, 2025Layoffs

PBS NC

Sep 16, 2025Layoffs

WNIN

Sep 11, 2025Layoffs

WETA

Sep 11, 2025Layoffs

Illinois Public Media

Sep 11, 2025Layoffs

WFUV

Sep 9, 2025Layoffs

KUNC

Sep 8, 2025Layoffs

Arizona Public Media

Sep 5, 2025Layoffs

Alabama Public Television

Sep 5, 2025Layoffs

PBS

Sep 4, 2025Layoffs

Houston Public Media

Sep 4, 2025Layoffs

Kentucky Educational Television

Sep 2, 2025Layoffs

KSPS

Aug 29, 2025Layoffs

KUSC

Aug 28, 2025Layoffs

Vermont Public

Aug 21, 2025Layoffs

SDPB

Aug 20, 2025Layoffs

WNIT

Aug 18, 2025Layoffs

APM

Aug 15, 2025Layoffs

NJ PBS

Aug 8, 2025Layoffs

WFIT

Jul 31, 2025Layoffs

WQED

Jul 23, 2025Layoffs

Twin Cities PBS

Jul 23, 2025Layoffs

WGBH

Jul 18, 2025Layoffs

WFAE

Public Media Layoffs Tracker

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September 2026

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