NPR CEO Katherine Maher vents 'deep frustration' over GOP cuts, says it will continue to operate

NPR CEO Katherine Maher expressed deep frustration in a new interview upon seeing the passage of the Trump administration s rescissions package that pulled her organization's federal funding but she vowed NPR would continue to operate Republicans in the Senate and House narrowly passed the rescissions package last week that yanked over billion in federal broadcast funding for the fiscal year Throughout this process the political rhetoric has been about punishing NPR and PBS for editorial and offerings decisions But the reality is that NPR receives less than half of one percent of all federal funds for population broadcasting More than goes directly to local stations Maher recounted Status RURAL NPR STATIONS DISAPPOINTED DETERMINED TO SURVIVE AFTER RESCISSION PACKAGE ELIMINATES FEDERAL FUNDING Meanwhile lawmakers from both parties continuously acknowledge in society and private how significant their local stations are to their constituents In this sense it s a bit like Congress itself she continued The institution may have low approval ratings but people generally approve of their local representatives This eviscerates funding for those independent community-based stations And for what purpose Scoring political points by saying you voted against NPR and PBS Maher admitted the cuts are a big hit for NPR and local member stations in rural areas will be rocked I expect you ll see nearly immediate loss of universal coverage in hard-to-reach parts of the country as well as layoffs of journalists covering local and state news Maher described Status NPR CEO WARNS STAFF 'TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CHANGE' COMING IF FEDERAL FUNDING YANKED The loss of funding may make it impossible for local stations in places like rural Alaska and Appalachia to continue to operate stations that receive as much as of their budget from federal funds Stations like these are already pulling shutdown plans out of their desks Maher added adding NPR had committed to reduce its operating budget by million Trump's multibillion-dollar clawback package teed up cuts to woke spending on foreign aid programs and NPR and PBS as Republicans at last yanked federal money from inhabitants news outlets in a move advocates announced was long overdue Maher who has espoused liberal views and preferences in past remarks and social media postings has repeatedly denied the notion that NPR is woke or biased and believes the vote was about politics and power We can have real substantive framework debates about federal funding for constituents media I recognize that s a matter of legitimate political disagreement how big the administration should be or what the executive should and shouldn t fund Maher stated Status CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CUSTOM This argument about inhabitants media being biased is a stalking horse We summary on soybean farmers and LGBTQ activism We document on coal miners and eco-warriors she continued Having non-White voices and perspectives on air does not make us woke Covering the existence of disagreement and difference in our country does not make us biased It makes us reflective of the complex diverse nation we serve Maher declared NPR would take a moment to mourn and ultimately move forward Ex-NPR editor Uri Berliner roasted the outlet last year over its biased coverage on such issues as COVID- Hunter Biden's laptop and the Russiagate saga He soon after resigned and joined The Free Press CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP