GRANITE FALLS — Federal funding cuts to public broadcasting ordered by President Donald Trump last week could have a significant impact on regional TV stations like Pioneer PBS.

On Thursday, Pioneer PBS President and General Manager Shari Lamke said federal funding makes up about 29% of the station’s annual budget. That money goes toward programming, as well as part of the station’s infrastructure, she said.

“This funding is irreplaceable,” Lamke said. She said Pioneer PBS not only airs locally-produced programs, but plays a role in emergency broadcasting. “I have no doubt that the loss of this critical

funding would impact this region and the safety of our citizens.”

Pioneer PBS, which has a television studio in Granite Falls, serves a 45-county region across parts of Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.

According to Pioneer PBS’s audited financial statements from the 2024 fiscal year, Pioneer PBS received a total of $989,190 in federal grant funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in 2024. They received $885,944 in grant funding from CPB in the 2023 fiscal year.

The rest of the station’s funding comes from a mix of sources.

“We’re trying to be as efficient as possible,” Lamke said.

Lamke said another 29% of the station’s budget comes from Minnesota state grant funding, like Legacy grants for local arts, history and cultural heritage productions. Other funding sources include philanthropic grants, underwriting, and contributions from viewers, she said. About 9 or 10% of Pioneer PBS’s budget comes from contributions, and 11% comes from revenue from leasing out space on Pioneer PBS’s broadcasting towers, she said.

PBS stations like Pioneer are each locally controlled and operated, Lamke said. Federal funding for CPB goes to help support individual PBS stations. The federal funding Pioneer PBS receives goes to pay dues that allow the station to run programs that air nationwide, including children’s programs and shows like “Nova,” “Finding Your Roots,” and Ken Burns documentaries.

Part of the federal funding also pays for part of Pioneer PBS’s broadcast infrastructure, Lamke said.

“The infrastructure it helps support has

essential public safety built into it. In times of natural disasters, when cell towers get

overwhelmed or go down, the PBS system has stood,” Lamke said.

Lamke said public broadcasters had been facing the possibility of serious funding cuts this spring.

“We’re expecting a rescission package,” where Congress will look at rescinding two years’ worth of funding for CPB, she said.

Then this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for CPB to “cease direct funding” to PBS and NPR stations. The U.S. Department of Education also terminated its 2020-2025 Ready To Learn grant. In a May 6 news release, CPB said it paused the program in a total of 44 public media stations in 28 states and Washington, D.C. Historically, Ready To Learn grants have helped fund children’s programs, including well-known shows like “Sesame Street” and “Reading Rainbow,” CPB said.

The Ready To Learn grant being cut was something that would have an impact on PBS children’s shows that are already in production, Lamke said. In that sense, it would affect many viewers, she said.

“We’ve been under attack before, on whether or not PBS should be funded,” Lamke said. Looking forward, “Exactly what is going to happen is unclear,” she said.

Lamke said it wasn’t clear if the Trump administration’s intent was to end public broadcasting, or to change the funding sources for public broadcasting stations.

Lamke said the federal funding that goes to support public media in the U.S. breaks down to about $1.60 per person.

In addition to airing nationwide shows, producing local TV programs and documentaries is a key part of what Pioneer PBS does, Lamke said. Part of the station’s mission statement is to lift up the voices of the people in its service region.

“We take it very seriously,” she said. “We produce a lot of local content.”

The studio in Granite Falls produces regional series like “Postcards,” “Prairie Sportsman,” “Prairie Yard & Garden,” “Compass,” “Landmarks” and “Your Legislators.” They also release broadcast specials and documentaries on Minnesota subjects.

Pioneer PBS’s local content and service report for the 2024 fiscal year said the station had more than 1.1 million views on YouTube, and more than 206,000 streams on its video app. Streaming numbers for PBS Kids had a record high of more than 3.3 million livestreams.

While it’s not certain what will happen with calls to end federal funding for PBS stations, Lamke said it would help for the public to contact their members of Congress and speak out in support of public broadcasting.

“Now is the time to speak up,” she said.