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Can Private Donors Keep NPR and PBS Afloat?

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Posted By: Dreadnought, 7/25/2025 3:53:23 PM

It's striking how similar NPR's situation is to that of Planned Parenthood. Both organizations have an affiliate model and both just had a lot of federal money cut from their budgets. That means both are now hoping to find new sources of funding to keep the doors open. The NY Times reports there has been an increase in donations to PBS and NPR but so far the amount isn't nearly enough to offset the cuts. Over the last three months, as the prospect of the cuts intensified, roughly 120,000 new donors have contributed an estimated $20 million in annual value,

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Reply 1 - Posted by: Dreadnought 7/25/2025 3:53:55 PM (No. 1982451)
The Times has been busy with "funding" articles. Headline from an article published a couple of hours age: "Under Siege From Trump and Musk, a Top Liberal Group Falls Into Crisis Scrambling to pay legal fees, Media Matters has dialed back its criticism, trimmed its staff and contemplated closing entirely."
6 people like this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: 0658 7/25/2025 4:10:30 PM (No. 1982454)
After all these years of left wing bias, I am not finding it in my heart to care very much.
27 people like this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: bpl40 7/25/2025 4:20:06 PM (No. 1982465)
If it could have been done, it would have been done years ago. These are leeches who thrive only on public funds.
14 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: chumley 7/25/2025 4:23:57 PM (No. 1982467)
Most of us would help out a friend who was in trouble for money. We would not, however, do it month after month into perpetuity. They may get some donations early on but they won last. People will get tired of pouring money down the drain. Governments never get tired of that.
12 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: hurricanegirl 7/25/2025 4:43:39 PM (No. 1982484)
As long as they don't use my money, I don't care what they do!
14 people like this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: Attila DiMedici 7/25/2025 4:44:08 PM (No. 1982485)
Wrong question, because the answer to that question is undoubtably "Yes". Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and others could each put up the money to keep NPR and PBS running. The correct question is, "Will Private donors Keep NPR and PBS afloat?"
3 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: Highvoltage 7/25/2025 4:58:35 PM (No. 1982490)
Now the market place will decide whether NPR and PBS survive just like all other stations. That’s how it should be.
10 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: JimBob 7/25/2025 5:37:05 PM (No. 1982497)
It looks like a Social Science Experiment to me. The question to be answered is: "Are the Leftists as Generous with their Own Money as they are with Other People's Money?" By the way, the PBS CEO was paid over $1,000,000, and three other 'executives' each made over $500,000 each. Pretty sweet deal for a group living off of donations! link: https://dailycaller.com/2025/05/01/npr-pbs-raked-in-millions-of-tax-dollars/
15 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: anniebc 7/25/2025 5:45:32 PM (No. 1982505)
Well, we'll see, won't we? The greedy left hates spending their ill-gotten money, but they love spending ours. What's ours eventually becomes theirs. That was then, and this is now, though.
7 people like this.

Reply 10 - Posted by: DVC 7/25/2025 5:47:26 PM (No. 1982510)
Hope not.
6 people like this.

Reply 11 - Posted by: Anaverageguy 7/25/2025 7:08:31 PM (No. 1982545)
Please remove the scales from your eyes. Hire people based on skills. Produce programs people want to watch. Sell commercials, embrace capitalism and succeed. Your narrow minded views are holding you back....
5 people like this.

Reply 12 - Posted by: Philipsonh 7/25/2025 7:14:35 PM (No. 1982547)
Unwatchable TV station because many fine programs are riddled with long requests for donations, requests to subscribe, etc. If I tune in while channel surfing and the donation requests begin, I am long gone.
4 people like this.

Reply 13 - Posted by: mc squared 7/25/2025 7:19:39 PM (No. 1982550)
So? Let them support it.
2 people like this.

Reply 14 - Posted by: Strike3 7/25/2025 7:29:54 PM (No. 1982554)
A small percentage of their programming is actually entertaining. The bias, propaganda, racism, climate change yammering, libtard promotion and hatred of all things American or moral is what is destroying them. Sink or swim, I don't care which.
3 people like this.

Reply 15 - Posted by: Vaquero45 7/25/2025 7:42:48 PM (No. 1982558)
Well…. ‘Bye.
3 people like this.

Reply 16 - Posted by: WV.Hillbilly 7/25/2025 7:57:51 PM (No. 1982571)
Turns out they didn't need all that taxpayer money after all. Let's see how long that lasts.
2 people like this.

Reply 17 - Posted by: Venturer 7/25/2025 8:43:38 PM (No. 1982582)
Who cares?
2 people like this.

Reply 18 - Posted by: KTWO 7/25/2025 9:17:04 PM (No. 1982591)
NPR/PBS receives money indirectly from sources besides private donors. About 10 to 15 years ago I spent a few hours studying their funding. I can't even remember why. I'm sorry I can offer no current facts and retain little memory about what I found but much of it was still tax monies. But basically a lot of funding involves connections to state colleges and universities. And via the NEA and various state funding of the "Arts". Thousands of public libraries faithfully buy associated books and materials. An example of those would be the Ken Burns documentaries.
1 person likes this.

Reply 19 - Posted by: crashnburn 7/25/2025 9:25:25 PM (No. 1982593)
When I lived in So. CA, I listened to an NPR station associated with USC (University of Spoiled Children). I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.
1 person likes this.

Reply 20 - Posted by: crashnburn 7/25/2025 10:12:32 PM (No. 1982605)
It's the classic difference between ignorance and apathy. I don't know, and I don't care.
1 person likes this.

Reply 21 - Posted by: MickTurn 7/25/2025 11:03:38 PM (No. 1982612)
We all know what Floats and has far more structural integrity of PBS OR NPR!
1 person likes this.

Reply 22 - Posted by: mifla 7/26/2025 6:12:17 AM (No. 1982656)
Not the ones scammed by the Kamala campaign.
0 people like this.

Reply 23 - Posted by: avital2 7/26/2025 6:50:34 AM (No. 1982669)
perhaps PBS should look at the CSPAN business model. it already has revenue enhancers with streaming platforms and would benefit from consolidating its many local organizations into one national one to bring major programming fo a national audience. i remember when localities were prominent in creating programming but not sure that is the case any more. so consolidation needed. as for NPR, it should just be a subscriber network.
0 people like this.

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