WACO, Texas (KXXV) — A federal judge halts President Trump's efforts to stop NPR funding
- A federal judge blocked the order on March 31st
- The White House indicated it will appeal the ruling
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Lydia Tate, the new president of KWBU, sat down with our 25 News reporter, Chantale Belefanti, to talk about a federal judge blocking President Trump's order to stop funding for public broadcasting stations like NPR. The judge found the executive order in violation of the First Amendment.
But Tate said she’s unsure if KWBU will see funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
“I don’t know. I think that’s the question that everybody is asking: ‘Will it ever come back? Will it ever be funded again?” That’s really the answer that I have right now, that's gonna be up to the future administration, future Congresses to decide," said Tate.
And while the judges' order can open doors for some funding, Tate made it clear to me that it does not allow for reinstating pre-existing funding, and local listeners are the ones stepping in to fill in the gap. And while the judges' order can open doors for some funding, Tate made it clear to me that it does not allow to reinstate pre-existing funding… and local listeners are the ones stepping in to fill in the gap.
“They’ve bonded together to keep KWBU thriving. I feel wonderful about that. I feel like catching some momentum that is much needed and has been needed for a long time," said Tate.
But Tate notes staying on air can be costly, with a budget of around $1.2 million.
“That takes care of programming fees from entities from NPR or PRX, staff, of course, we have 9 staff members, and so of course, there’s a lot of equipment. We can see microphones and all types of things that sound proofing room that and all sorts of elements to what we do," said Tate.
Efforts to keep the community engaged in 2027 could push KWBU's budget higher.
“Media stations are the backbone of the community. They are providing resources for emergency management, they are providing resources for community programming, they are providing an outlet for community events for their population," said Tate.
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