WASHINGTON, DC – After President Donald Trump signed a bill last week cutting off public broadcasters and foreign aid programs from billions in taxpayer dollars, one Central Florida outlet has managed to raise much of its money on its own.
The locally-owned broadcaster — Central Florida Public Media — held a one-day funding drive on Friday that left “100% of their budget reliant on community support,” a release from the broadcaster states.
But on Sunday, the broadcaster announced that it had raised nearly $200,000 thanks to over 600 people who contributed during the drive.
“We’re close to halfway to closing the gap for next year left by the loss of $400,000 federal and state funds,” the broadcaster revealed.
Staff said that many of their donors doubled their monthly payments, with some giving as much as $5,000. The Ginsburg Family Foundation provided a staggering $50,000 match in honor of Harriet Ginsburg, who was a dedicated listener.
Trump signed a bill on July 24 that canceled roughly $1.1 billion that had been apportioned out to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which finances NPR, PBS and over 1,500 other media stations across the U.S.
“I had no idea what it was going to look like or that there would be over 600 people, to be honest. Sometimes in a full week’s pledge drive, we don’t get that type of response,” said Judith Smelser, President of Central Florida Public Media.
For a long time now, concerns have mounted over the U.S. national debt, which reached a staggering $36 trillion last year. Critics argue that the current rate of federal spending will continue to push that figure even higher.
During his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to lower these costs, leading to the creation of the DOGE. As of Wednesday, the agency has claimed to save over $199 billion, though its former head, Elon Musk, publicly split with Trump earlier this year over Trump’s support for a massive spending bill.
Regardless, Central Florida Public Media was impacted by the latest spending cuts, as well losing access to taxpayer funding at the state level.
The White House has blasted public media outlets like PBS and NPR as being politically biased and an unnecessary expense. That was even the theme of an executive order issued by Trump back in May.
“Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse and innovative news options,” the order reads. “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”
Central Florida Public Media lists on its website that it receives content from NPR, which underwent a viral scandal last year when its then-senior editor accused the outlet of having an open “liberal bent.”
Despite that, Central Florida Public Media touts that it doesn’t accept sponsored content, and only around 10% of its funding has stemmed from government sources.
In addition, Smelser distanced Central Florida Public Media from NPR when speaking with News 6 earlier this year.
“The first thing I want to point out to is that I can’t speak for NPR because we are a separate organization from NPR, and a lot of people don’t realize that,” she said.
Meanwhile, local PBS station WUCF told News 6 that they raised over $250,000. Per the station, they’re still facing a $2 million gap.
“Our community did something extraordinary. In just days, the Stand With WUCF campaign raised over $250,000, proving that Central Florida stands with public media,” the station told News 6 in a statement. “We’re blown away by the generosity behind every single gift. And the momentum isn’t slowing. Donations are still coming in and being counted.”
Smelser said that Central Florida Public Media plans to seek help from private investors and community advocates. News 6 reached out to WFIT and WEFS but has not yet heard back.
To donate to Central Florida Public Media, you can visit its website by clicking here.