PBS faces cuts as Trump’s $1.1bn bill passes

US broadcaster PBS has said the decision to cut more than $1bn ($740m) in public media funding “goes against the will of the American people” and will be “devastating” for large swathes of viewers.

The US Senate on Thursday voted 51-48 in favour of the cuts, and the bill then passed 216-213 at the House of Representatives, which had already voted for a version of the legislation. 

It will now be sent to US president Trump to sign into law.

PBS is a frequent collaborator on international projects, with shows such as Ages of Ice with Australia’s ABC and ITV Studios, and Channel 4’s recent car crash experiment series.

The legislation had been requested directly by the US president and means the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds both PBS and US radio service NPR, will see $1.1bn removed from their budgets.

PBS is funded primarily by donations from foundations and members of the public, with federal funding making up around 15% of its budget.

PBS chief exec and president, Paula Kerger, said the move would hit local communities hardest in comments made following the Senate vote.

“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.

She added: “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 which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.”

The federal funding had initially been agreed earlier this year, but Trump subsequently put forward a ‘rescissions’ proposal to Congress in May, following recommendations from Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

His proposals included cutting the $1.1bn in funding to public media, as well as slashing $8.3bn from the country’s foreign aid budget.

The legislation passed at the Senate because it is a ‘rescission request’, thus requiring just a simple majority unlike the 60-vote threshold more frequently adopted.

Trump has had media in his sights since coming to office earlier this year, with investigations being launched into outlets and the US president suing CBS for $20m over an interview with Kamala Harris on its 60 Minutes show.