NPR and PBS stations say they are facing significant funding gaps after the Republican-led Congress's approval of more than $1 billion in cuts.

The departure comes as local NPR and PBS stations across the country brace for major budget challenges and heavy political pressure.

The Right has finally managed to gut public broadcasting. Our already anemic access to news, education, and culture has taken a massive blow. With so much else on the chopping block, it was inevitable that Donald Trump’s axe would come for Big Bird.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Congress has passed President Donald Trump’s request to claw back about $9 billion in public broadcasting and foreign aid spending.

In 2018, during his first term, Trump sent a $15.3 billion rescission package to Congress that passed the House but failed in the Senate. This time, however, the Senate agreed to Trump’s cuts 51-48, with Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine being the only Republicans to join Democrats in opposing the bill.

Federal funding cuts to public radio and television stations, which threaten the existence of some small broadcasters on the continent, are expected to have a muted immediate impact on Hawaiʻi broadcasters and their listeners, viewers and staffs, despite dealing the stations financial blows.

President Donald Trump waits to sign a measure that would eliminate nearly $1.1 billion in funding put aside for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.