Since 1976, KSUT has served the Four Corners with trusted news, inspiring music and unique storytelling. But now, critical funding is under threat.
For over 20 years, KSUT has received financial support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, an independent nonprofit that distributes federal money (an average of $1.60 per American annually) to local public media stations, both professional- and volunteer-powered. That money is used to invest in programming and services according to each community’s needs and has enjoyed bipartisan support since its inception, following the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
Numerous credible sources have reported that the White House is drafting a formal request to Congress to eliminate $1.1 billion in funding for CPB, which supports more than 1,500 public media stations across the country, including KSUT. If Congress approves this rescission package, it will eliminate the federal investment that powers the trusted journalism and educational programming that local communities like ours rely on every day.
The intent is to take back funding that received bipartisan approval from Congress, defunding critical support for PBS and NPR affiliate stations. This action will be felt in local communities across the country. In Colorado, there will be no greater impact than in the 3rd Congressional District, where public media stations and the communities they serve benefit from the dedication of 160 employees, 550 statewide and almost 500 volunteers.
There are more local and independent public broadcasting stations receiving federal support along the Western Slope and Southern Colorado than any other part of Colorado combined.
In 2025, 19% ($333,000) of KSUT’s budget will come from CPB. Though these funding cuts are not yet approved by Congress, the request from the administration signals a significant escalation in efforts to defund public media.
This is a credible threat to our work, jeopardizing essential services that inform and unite citizens across the Four Corners. If passed, KSUT and countless other media outlets may be forced to make budget cuts that will impact our ability to provide high quality local, regional, national and international news to the Four Corners.
Located on the Southern Ute Tribal campus in Ignacio, KSUT reaches over 250,000 people across Southwest Colorado and Northwest New Mexico, portions of Utah and Arizona, including the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute communities, and portions of the Navajo Nation and Jicarilla Apache Nation.
KSUT reaches people with extremely limited or nonexistent cellphone and internet service, providing lifesaving emergency information to some of the most remote reaches of the Four Corners.
For decades, stations like KSUT, KDUR at Fort Lewis College and KSJD in Cortez have been trusted sources of reporting, civil discourse and lifelong learning, not to mention music discovery and entertainment. We produce stories that are not crafted to sensationalize topics for the sake of increasing listenership, but to open minds and hearts to issues that impact our communities.
KSUT continues to innovate through collaborations and partnerships with other media outlets, expanding coverage in what is considered a “news desert.”
We recently collaborated with KSJD to share a full-time news reporter to highlight stories from Indigenous communities and other voices that would otherwise have gone unreported. In partnership with Rocky Mountain Public Media and FLC, KSUT’s innovative Tribal Media Center offers multimedia storytelling training to Indigenous community members, with a goal of increasing the distribution of original content throughout North America. Yes, these projects set KSUT apart, but they are also emblematic of the critical role that public radio plays in the media landscape, particularly in rural areas like the Four Corners.
Local public radio and television stations are not partisan organizations – they are a direct reflection of the people who live and work in their communities. We exist to elevate local voices, celebrate the arts and culture of the regions we serve, and create space for everyone in our community to be heard.
As an example, KSUT recently participated in the StoryCorps One Small Step project, partnering self-identified conservatives and liberals to discuss personal values and issues that are important to them and find commonality.
Withdrawing funding, already promised and approved by Congress, will impact local communities by weakening and perhaps shutting down valued local stations.
This is a critical time for public broadcasting in the Four Corners. The president’s proposal to cancel federal money must be approved by Congress within 45 days, and leadership has indicated that they would like for the House to vote on the package the week of May 5th. In the past, when federal funding for public media has been threatened, it was widespread opposition expressed by Americans of all political stripes that preserved it.
If you agree, we urge you to let your representative know that public broadcasting is important to you and our community. Please share how KSUT and other regional public radio and TV stations matter to you at ProtectMyPublicMedia.org.
Tami Graham is executive director and Wade Griffith is board president of KSUT Public Radio in Ignacio.
