Eureka, California – KEET-TV, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate serving Eureka, California, faces potential closure and significant operational changes after Congress passed the Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4), which eliminates $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The station, like many rural public broadcasters, is heavily reliant on federal support, with nearly half of its budget sourced from these funds. Marc Joffe, a social media user, noted in a recent tweet, "Public TV station in Eureka may close due to federal PBS cuts."
The Rescissions Act, signed into law, specifically "clawed back" $1.1 billion designated for the CPB for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. This move is part of a broader $9 billion package of cuts targeting various federal programs. For KEET-TV, approximately 45% to 46% of its annual budget historically comes from these federal allocations, making it one of the most vulnerable stations nationwide.
David Gordon, KEET's Executive Director, has expressed grave concerns regarding the cuts. He stated that the station would be forced to "make painful cuts to both staff and programming" and that its continued operation, if possible, would be "in a very, very different form than it is right now." Smaller, rural public media outlets are disproportionately affected due to their higher dependence on federal funding compared to larger metropolitan stations.
The tweet also suggested that public television stations "could sell advertising (sponsorship messages already sound like ads anyway)." However, PBS stations operate under non-commercial educational licenses regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These licenses prohibit traditional commercial advertising, instead allowing "sponsorship messages" or "underwriting spots."
These sponsorship messages are subject to strict FCC guidelines, preventing them from containing calls to action, pricing information, or qualitative comparisons, unlike typical advertisements. While some critics argue these messages blur the lines with commercials, recent FCC investigations into alleged violations have reaffirmed the distinct non-commercial nature required of public broadcasters. The federal funding cuts pose a direct threat to the ability of stations like KEET-TV to continue providing essential local programming and emergency services to their communities.