In early January 2026, users across social media platforms like Facebook (archived, archived)
They lamented the presumed loss of longtime educational programming like "Sesame Street" and trusted news programs such as "PBS NewsHour." One post read, "After nearly six decades of shaping young minds and educating audiences nationwide, PBS has officially gone off the air."
However, claims that PBS is shutting down were false.
Many users sharing the claim conflated PBS with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a nonprofit corporation that has served as "the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting." The CPB was created in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson,
On Jan. 5, 2026, leaders of the CPB voted to dissolve the organization after Congress voted in July to claw back $1.1 billion that had been allocated to it. As a result of CPB's closure, USA Today summarized the situation like this:
NPR and PBS as a whole will not 'shut down,' but some associated properties, especially those in more rural or lower-income areas, may suffer. CPB was a significant portion of NPR and PBS's funding, but not all of it, meaning the organizations will have to find another means of filling in the multi-million dollar gaps.
How we got here
The rumors about PBS closing began around Aug. 1, 2025, when CPB released a statement confirming it would "begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissions package and the release of the Senate Appropriations Committee's FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill, which excludes funding for CPB for the first time in more than five decades."
Their statement continued:
CPB informed its employees today that the majority of staff positions will conclude with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025. A small transition team will remain through January 2026 to ensure a responsible and orderly closeout of operations. This team will focus on compliance, final distributions, and resolution of long-term financial obligations, including ensuring continuity for music rights and royalties that remain essential to the public media system.
A PBS spokesperson told Snopes via email in
For over half a century, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has partnered with PBS and our member stations to serve communities large and small in every corner of the country. As this remarkable institution winds down, PBS is committed to building on CPB's legacy and maintaining our service to the American people for years to come. We are grateful to Patricia Harrison [CEO of CPB], who for the last 20 years has ensured public television remained available and accessible to every American.
According to CPB's operating budget for fiscal year 2025, of its $545 million in funding, 49.1% ($267.83 million) was allotted to "direct grants to local public television stations" and 17.8% ($96.78 million) went to "television programming grants," both of which included PBS.
In PBS' financial statements for the years ending June 30, 2024, and 2023, the organization stated "the remaining award balance on federal grants was approximately $10.9 million and $15.1 million as of June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively."
According to NPR, which also benefited from CPB grants, "PBS and its stations get around 15% of their revenue" through CPB grants, while NPR itself "gets about 1% of its funding directly from the federal government. Its member stations, which operate over 1,300 outlets, receive about 8% to 10% of their funding from the federal government."
So while PBS is not shutting down, the loss of CPB funding will have a significant effect on the organization, particularly television stations that operate to serve rural communities. Time magazine reported that "those stations may seek new funding from state governments or private donors, but these solutions are not likely to fully replace the funding CPB provided."
On July 17, 2025, following the passage of the bill that cemented the clawback of CPB's federal funding, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement:
The Senate just approved a rescissions package that goes against the will of the American people, the vast majority of whom trust PBS and believe we provide excellent value to their communities.
These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas. Many of our stations that provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.
There is nothing more American than PBS. Despite today's setback, we are determined to keep fighting to preserve the essential services we provide to the American public.