U.S. Government Cuts $1.1 Billion In Funding For The Corporation For Public Broadcasting

The U.S. government has passed a bill eliminating over $1 billion in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This financial blow hits PBS and NPR the hardest, posing a particular threat to PBS Kids, a key player in educational animation. The cuts could force widespread layoffs, halt new content, and shift young viewers toward commercial platforms.

The Big Picture:

Congress has approved cutting $1.1 billion in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), effectively defunding PBS and NPR for the first time in decades. This move could significantly disrupt the U.S. animation industry, particularly in children’s educational programming.

Why it matters:

PBS Kids has been a major incubator for non-commercial, educational animation platforms and series like Sesame Street, Arthur, The Magic School Bus, and countless others. With federal funding eliminated, programs like these face production cuts or cancellations, potentially altering how millions of children consume media. Additionally, PBS Kids content is often free-to-air, especially vital for rural and low-income families.

Driving the news:

• The cuts were passed in July 2025, with House approval (216–213) and Senate approval (51–48).
• President Trump called the move a “fiscal victory,” having previously accused NPR and PBS of spreading “radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news,'” when he signed an executive order to cut all funding back in May.
• The funding cuts take effect on October 1, 2025.
• Local PBS stations anticipate widespread layoffs, closures, and reduced programming.

Potential risks to the animation industry include:

• Production halts on current animated series and specials.
• Fewer grant-funded projects for small and mid-sized independent animation studios.
• Increased consolidation of educational brands under commercial streamers like Netflix (where Sesame Street recently secured a distribution deal).

By the numbers:

• Approximately 15% of PBS’s total budget is derived from federal CPB funding.
• Approximately $1.40 to $ 1.60 per taxpayer annually funds public broadcasting.
• PBS Kids had already furloughed 25% of staff in early 2025 before the cuts.

Impacted Shows:

While a list of shows that will be affected by the cuts isn’t available, the following series have received funding from CPB in the last several years. These totals don’t represent the show’s budgets, but rather the amount received from CPB:

• Lyla in the Loop – $3 million
• Phoebe & Jay – $3 million
• Carl the Collector – $2 million
• Elinor Wonders Why – $1.4 million
• Alma’s Way – $1.4 million
• Molly of Denali – $1 million
• City Island – $1 million
• StoryCorps Animated Shorts – $450,000

What they’re saying:

In a statement, PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger said:

The Senate approval ultimately goes against the will of the American people, the vast majority of whom trust PBS and believe it provides excellent value to their communities. These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas. Many of our stations that provide access to free and unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.

Paul Siefken, CEO and president of Fred Rogers Productions, which produces animated series like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Alma’s Way, told Kidscreen when Trump first attempted to cut CPB funding:

Federal funding for PBS KIDS is irreplaceable and essential for the critical educational resources that tens of millions of children rely on all over the country. We support PBS and have chosen to work with them for the last 57 years because no other children’s media provider has public television’s local infrastructure, which helps our youngest learners where they live and learn.

The bottom line:

Animation producers relying on public funds are bracing for a contraction. Without intervention, the next generation of children’s programming may be shaped more by engagement metrics than educational standards.