The Detroit News
May 14, 2025
Sandy K. Baruah and James Nicholson
There’s a national policy debate that, perhaps, will directly impact the quality of life and access to educational content in Detroit and across Michigan that will adversely affect walks of life from the classroom to the boardroom.
Communities across the country — including ours — depend on publicly supported public broadcasting through both radio and television. The recent Trump Executive Order aimed at cutting off federal funding to NPR and PBS, combined with a proposal to rescind previously approved funding, threatens this essential service.
We urge Congress to reject this shortsighted attempt to undo a longstanding bipartisan commitment to public media. For decades, public broadcasting has enriched, educated and inspired the lives of all Americans — especially young children and households without access to subscription-based cable or internet services. That mission is more vital now than ever.
These proposed dramatic cuts in previously approved support will directly harm our community by threatening the future of Detroit PBS and public radio stations in Michigan and across the nation — institutions that deliver trusted local and national programs, world-class arts and educational services to our children.
For about $1.60 per American annually, Americans support a media system that reaches into homes and hearts, offering opportunity, connection and clarity in a world that needs all three. For public television and radio, this taxpayer investment is not an abstract line item — it’s a vital lifeline for education, information and the arts. Public television and radio are also a great investment; every federal dollar spent on public broadcasting is matched by $6 dollars in private and philanthropic contributions.
The proposed rescission would cut $3 million from Detroit PBS’s operating budget, critically undermining services that thousands of families, educators and lifelong learners rely on every day.
Public broadcasting entities are more than media outlets. They are civic and cultural institutions that reflect the nation and region’s culture and help shape its future — specifically American educational and cultural institutions ranging from “Big Bird’s Sesame Street” to classical music to fact-based news reporting.
Beyond the screen, Detroit PBS and other national and state-based public television and radio stations engage directly with the community, meeting regularly with local leaders, church groups, nonprofit coalitions and parent organizations to understand and respond to American’s specific education and information needs. Specifically, critical to Michigan, is the focus on improving our state’s educational attainment benchmarks in order to prepare for the hypercompetitive 21st Century Global economy.
That includes leading the statewide Michigan Learning Channel, a 24/7 broadcast and online service aligned with Michigan’s education standards, reaching more than 400,000 students, educators and caregivers annually. This service helps bridge learning gaps, especially for students with limited internet access.
Public broadcasting enjoys broad bipartisan support. Its programming ranges from conservative-leaning programming such as “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” to news-related humor elements like “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” to more locally based grassroots perspectives. In fact, public television has continually been ranked as the most trusted media institution in America for more than two decades. That trust must be honored and protected — as it has since its inception in 1969.
We believe deeply in the mission and value of public broadcasting. We encourage our neighbors of all political perspectives to raise their voices now. Tell your congressional representatives that Detroit PBS and 90.9 WRCJ radio – and other public broadcasting – matters to you, to our region and to the future we are building together.
Sandy K. Baruah is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Regional Chamber. James Nicholson is Chairman of PVS Chemicals and former Board Chair of Detroit PBS.