This week, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. struck down parts of an Executive Order that sought to prohibit federal funding from going to PBS and NPR, either directly or indirectly.

The court found that this action violated the First Amendment, stating that the Constitution does not allow the government to restrict funding based on viewpoint or retaliate against organizations in this way.

This decision is an important development but does not change the fact that Congress rescinded all federal funding for local public media stations.

What the ruling does

The decision blocks a provision of the Executive Order that directed federal agencies to end direct or indirect federal funding of NPR and PBS.

What the ruling does not do

This ruling does not restore federal funding for local public media stations or award funding to NPR or PBS.

Last summer, Congress voted to rescind funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the entity that historically distributed federal support to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations across the country. Since then, CPB has dissolved.

That rescission was a separate action, and it remains in place.

As a result, local stations are navigating the devastating impacts of lost federal funding, including cuts to local staffing, programming and essential services. Without restored support, dozens of local public radio and television stations are at risk for closure.

Why this distinction matters

PBS and NPR provide national programming. Local public media stations are independent and community based. Some stations choose to be PBS or NPR members, but some do not.

These stations deliver essential services – from life-saving emergency communications, classroom resources, local journalism and storytelling, high school sports, and community forums to address local challenges – to almost every American household, every day for free.

Federal funding has long been the backbone of stations’ local service.

This court ruling prevents an additional restriction on NPR and PBS funding, but it does not restore or replace the funding that local public radio and television stations have already lost.

Why this matters now

Local public media stations urgently need federal funding and Members of Congress are setting their Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 funding priorities right now. This is one of the first and most important opportunities to make sure restoring funding for local public media stations is part of that conversation.

What they hear from constituents at this stage helps shape what moves forward. Speak up now and urge your Members of Congress to prioritize restoring federal funding for local public media stations.