Alaska Rep. Nick Begich again votes to strip funding from public broadcasters

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overnight Thursday to strip more than $1.1 billion in previously budgeted money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, putting the future of many of Alaska’s small public radio stations in doubt.

Among the congressional Republicans voting for the cut was Alaska Rep. Nick Begich III. The 216-213 vote means a proposal to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting will advance to the desk of President Donald Trump, who requested the cancellation.

Earlier in the week, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, voted in favor of the cancellation in the Senate. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against it. It passed through the Senate on a 51-49 vote. 

The cut will affect federal spending in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, but radio stations in the 49th state have already begun planning to lay off staff and cut programming.

A handshake deal organized by Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, will transfer $9.4 million from the Interior Department to some public radio stations that serve Alaska Native and American Indian communities, but it isn’t yet clear how the money will be shared and which stations will receive it.

In 2024 — the most recent for which numbers are available —public media stations statewide received $12 million in Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants. 

Many of Alaska’s stations rely on federal funding to operate.

Though the effects of the cut will be disproportionately large in Alaska, Begich voted in favor of a prior version of the cancellation as well as the final version this week.

In a written statement, Begich said technology has advanced since the development of radio and Alaskans have embraced cellphones and satellite communications, and public radio is not as important as it formerly was.