Dear Friends of WNCW,
On May 2nd, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to prohibit both direct and indirect federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). This executive order is focused solely on federal dollars and leaves the current congressional appropriation to the CPB, which is dispersed to public radio and television stations through Community Service Grants, unchanged for now.
As you may know, WNCW receives an annual Community Service Grant (CSG) from the CPB. This grant amounts to less than 10% of our typical annual operating budget for the station. While not a huge portion of our annual budget, any potential loss is of course a concern. However, this loss would not be insurmountable by any means, and WNCW would not cease operations. Private donations, foundation grants, business underwriting of our programming, and member support continue to provide the bulk of our annual operating budget for the near future, and for our sustainable future – which means you are the real reason that WNCW has always remained strong and will continue to do so.
Although how this will all play out is not yet known, you can count on WNCW’s continued commitment to bringing you the same eclectic mix of music, news, and educational programming across Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina, and beyond. We will also continue to serve our license holder, Isothermal Community College, by helping to educate the next generation of broadcasters through our internship program. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and fully comply with the law in the meantime.
All of us at WNCW recognize that we truly are stronger together. We thank you for making nearly 36 years of public radio at WNCW possible, and your continued support has never been more important.
Sincerely,
Dave Kester
Director of Radio Operations – 88.7 FM WNCW