PBS North Carolina has laid off employees due to cuts from federal funding. According to the Raleigh The News & Observer, PBS North Carolina has laid off 32 employees and eliminated 16 vacant positions, in addition to offering voluntary separations due to federal funding cuts to public media.

In July 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Rescissions Act of 2025, which included a provision to cancel all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting . The CPB, which is a private, non-profit organization, funnels federal money to public media stations like National Public Radio  and The Public Broadcasting Service across the country. 

The bill cancelled approximately $1.1 billion in advanced funding that Congress had previously allocated to the CPB for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The layoffs came just weeks before the government shutdown began Oct. 1 at midnight. 

PBS North Carolina spokesperson Lauren Peress declined to comment but sent a statement from CEO David Crabtree to Elon News Network.

“Due to the scope of the budget shortfall — driven by the loss of federal funds, possible state cuts, and rising operational costs — a significant organizational restructuring is necessary, and we are moving forward with an involuntary Reduction in Force program,” Crabtree wrote.

Professor of political science and public policy Jillian Auditori said these kinds of cuts can impact rural areas over more urban areas. 

“Oftentimes in the more urban areas, they have a better ability to fundraise and sort of fill in the gaps for the missing government funding,” Auditori said  “In rural areas, it's much more difficult to do that. So getting the broadcasting to rural areas is a concern, because we want to have a strong democracy, we need to have an informed citizenry.”

Journalism professor Anthony Hatcher said that federal cuts to programs like PBS will lead to fewer original productions. 

“They don't have the ability to do original productions. They used to do a lot of 20 minute, 30 minute pieces,” Hatcher said.  “There's a show called North Carolina Weekend, and they send producers and videographers and hosts off to the mountains and off to the coast and things like that. I wonder if they're going to have the money to do that in the future.”

Israel Balderas, a professor who specializes in media law said independence is important when it comes to public media. 

“You want media to be independent,” Balderas said.  “Legally pulling federal money is not going to violate the First Amendment, but I think it certainly will weaken its spirit. I think a democracy thrives when citizens have access to trusted, independent information.”

Balderas emphasized how important free and independent press is to the public. 

“This is just one more way to attack a free and independent press,” Baldearas said  “We need a free and independent press in a free society, because that’s what holds our society together.