End of an Era: CPB to Close After Defunding

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, an integral part of American culture spanning three generations, announced on Friday its plan to close after being defunded by Congress.

This signals the end of nearly six decades of educational programming and cultural content production. The demise, tied to President Donald Trump's criticism of public media, will heavily impact public radio and TV, particularly in small U.S. communities.

Fundamental to NPR and PBS, CPB's closure results from the Senate's decision to exclude its funding for the first time in over 50 years, despite public efforts to sustain it, as confirmed by Patricia Harrison, CPB's president and CEO.

(With inputs from agencies.)