Public media is struggling under Trump. L.A.’s KCRW may have found the way forward

KCRW in Los Angeles, an NPR member station, is demonstrating a potential path forward for public media following significant federal funding cuts. In May 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to end taxpayer subsidies for public broadcasters, which was later enacted by Congress through the Rescissions Act of 2025, clawing back $1.1 billion allocated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The CPB subsequently announced it was winding down operations, leading to widespread layoffs and programming cuts across public media, including NPR and PBS. KCRW itself lost $1.3 million in federal funds last year but has responded by revitalizing its programming, enhancing listener access, deepening fan engagement, and increasing live events, such as the Summer Nights festival. Since the government intervention, KCRW has experienced exponential growth in listenership across linear, streaming, and podcast platforms, attracting millions of podcast downloads from outside its immediate geographic area. The station's financial pledge goal for the current year has already been met, and it is projected to finish 2026 with ad revenue and off-radio sponsorships accounting for over 30% of its total revenue, indicating a successful diversification of funding streams.