TAMPA, Fla. — Thousands of public television and radio stations are at risk of losing federal funding after the House voted earlier this month to cut spending already approved by Congress. 

What You Need To Know

  • Senators have until July 18 to vote to take back that money from stations like WEDU

  • WEDU has been operating since 1958 and serves 13 counties in our region

  • Paul Grove said his station received around $2.6 million in federal funding for their operating budget, 13% of the budget

More than $9 billion allotted to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Foreign Aid Programs may be lost, as Senators have until July 18 to vote to take back that money. 

President and CEO of WEDU, Paul Grove, said this has been on their radar for around a year. 

While Grove said they knew there were concerns in Washington about the funding, he said they were unaware of attempts to take back the money that had already been appropriated to them. 

“All that programming, all those emergency services are at risk if they choose to take this money back from us.” 

Grove said his station received around $2.6 million in federal funding for their operating budget, 13% of the budget.

Moderator for Florida This Week, Lissette Campos, said she is focused on the job at hand, but she knows that changes may be coming to the station.

“I’m focused on the work that we do and using this uncomfortable moment for PBS stations to highlight the things that we do here in the Tampa Bay area here at WEDU,” she said.  

PBS stations have a wide array of content. 

Lissette is not only part of our local station, she said a PBS show helped shape her into the person she is today.

“My parents are Cuban Americans,” she said. “They came to this country in 1961. I was born in New York, grew up in a home where they spoke only Spanish. So I learned to speak English watching Sesame Street.”

If cuts do happen at WEDU, Lissette doesn’t believe that Florida This Week will be affected.

Even so, the entire situation makes her sad.

“I focus on the work and try not to think too much about what the future would look like without a show like this,” she said.  

Republicans have characterized the spending on Public Broadcasting Services as wasteful and unnecessary. 

President Donald Trump has also signed an executive order aimed at slashing public subsidies to PBS and NPR. He alleges bias in those broadcasters’ reporting. 

“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary, but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence,” the order signed by Trump said.

WEDU has been operating since 1958 and serves 13 counties in our region.