The parent company of PBS and NPR sued President Donald Trump on Tuesday following his latest attempt to undermine America’s public media infrastructure.
In its lawsuit, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private nonprofit company authorized by Congress and funded by taxpayers, alleges that three of the company’s five directors were emailed by the White House and told they had been terminated.
“The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is not a government entity, and its board members are not government officers,” CPB said in a statement. “Because CPB is not a federal agency subject to the president’s authority, but rather a private corporation, we have filed a lawsuit to block these firings.”
CPB was created after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. CPB uses funds earmarked by Congress to provide funding for public radio and television stations across the United States. Those stations then purchase broadcast rights to key programming, such as beloved children’s show “Sesame Street,” news documentary series “Frontline,” and flagship NPR news program “All Things Considered.”
National Public Radio headquarters in Washington, D.C., shown in 2013.
More than 1,200 public radio stations and over 360 TV stations receive CPB grants, giving 99% of Americans access to public media for education, news, and information.
Trump and congressional Republicans have repeatedly attacked public media, specifically NPR and PBS, falsely accusing the networks of producing content that is biased against conservatives.
Over the years, the Republican Party and the conservative movement have repeatedly attacked public media, which is widely admired by Americans. Polling consistently shows high levels of trust in public media. In 2024, a survey from HarrisInteractive found NPR to be the most trustworthy national news brand, while PBS has ranked as the most trusted American institution for over 22 years.
The public especially loves PBS Kids, the home of “Sesame Street.” A YouGov poll determined that 88% of parents trust the programming bloc as part of their children’s educational development.
This sentiment stands in stark contrast to Trump’s attitude. In a March 27 post, he called on Republicans to pass anti-public-media legislation, writing, “NPR and PBS, two horrible and completely biased platforms (Networks!), should be DEFUNDED by Congress, IMMEDIATELY.”
Trump’s reported attempt to purge CPB board members and overstep his legal authority is the same tactic he has used at multiple government agencies. Judges have shut him down over and over while the public has soured on his assault on revered institutions.
That was all before he led an attack on Sesame Street.
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