Dear Valued Listener,

The last week of March, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that President Trump’s executive order prohibiting federal agencies from funding PBS and NPR is unlawful and cannot be enforced. It was determined to be viewpoint discrimination.

I want to share what this means for Ozarks Public Broadcasting – and what it does not mean.

What hasn't changed

Unfortunately, this does not mean that our federal funding has been restored. While the executive order was one attempt to defund the public media system, the mechanism that ultimately succeeded in eliminating our funding was a rescission request sent by the President to Congress. That rescission was a lawful request and action by Congress. It remains in place. For OPT and KSMU, it amounts to a loss of approximately $1.3 million each year.

What this ruling may affect

This ruling does potentially impact other types of federal funding that flows into the public media system – including educational grants, infrastructure funding, and other project-based federal funding. It means that the President’s effort to prohibit all federal agencies from funding public media through any means is not enforceable. Many efforts are underway at the national level to advocate for federal funding for public media – both to restore the annual funding from Corporation for Public Broadcasting (a long-term goal) and securing new, project-based funding from other federal sources. This ruling will help those efforts.

Why this matters

Importantly, this ruling affirms core First Amendment principles, making clear that the government cannot withhold funding as a way to influence or punish viewpoint. This is an extremely positive outcome for freedom of the press and for public service journalism. So, while this ruling does not change our immediate funding situation—and it may still be subject to appeal—it represents a positive step for public media nationwide.

What remains certain

The future of Ozarks Public Broadcasting depends on the strength and generosity of our local community. Your support is our most reliable source of funding, especially when other sources are uncertain. Every gift you give directly sustains the public media programs and services you rely on, today and every day.

If you value independent reporting, lifelong learning, and programming that reflects and serves our region, I urge you to please make a gift today.

Thank you for standing with Ozarks Public Broadcasting. We are grateful to have you as part of our community.

Sincerely,

Rachel Knight

General Manager

Ozarks Public Broadcasting