photo by: Bremen Keasey

The building for Kansas Public Radio, at 1120 W. 11th St. in Lawrence. KPR will hold an emergency fundraising drive after Congress voted to approve a proposed $1.1 billion decrease in federal funding for public broadcasting.

After Congress approved a request from President Donald Trump to claw back over a billion dollars in federal public broadcasting funds, Kansas Public Radio has announced an emergency fundraising drive to keep its operations going.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted early Friday morning to approve a bill that cut over $9 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid. This will rescind $1.1 billion in federal funding that was committed to more than 1,500 public media stations across the country, including Kansas Public Radio.

Feloniz Lovato-Winston, the director of KPR, said in a news release that the cuts “will weaken one of the most trusted civic institutions in America.”

Lovato-Winston told the Journal-World that KPR will lose around $240,000 directly as a result of these cuts, which is about 10% of its operating budget each year. Although the loss is “not insurmountable,” Lovato-Winston said, the cuts mean the station will need donations to continue its free programming of news coverage, music and talk shows.

“Without private support, it will have an impact on our (programming),” Lovato-Winston said.

Lovato-Winston said the station plans for the on-air drive to start on Thursday, July 24, and last through Saturday, July 26, with the goal of raising enough money to make up for the $240,000 cut. During the drive, Lovato-Winston said donors have committed to match around $55,000 in gifts from others.

If everyone who listened contributed to the drive, Lovato-Winston said that the station “would be just fine.” And, although the drive is next week, people can donate to KPR at any time, whether there’s a special drive going on or not.

Lovato-Winston said she would encourage more people to participate in KPR’s sustaining membership program, in which people make monthly donations — the average amount is $15 per person per month.

The unique programming that KPR provides is a vital public service, Lovato-Winston said, and KPR distributes news through other outlets like the Kansas News Service that have an impact “beyond its airwaves.”

“It’s very important for us to be able to provide for free thoughtful music programming with local hosts that provide excellent selections and companionship (to our listeners)… and it’s part of the public radio mission to ensure everyone has access to well-researched, local news,” Lovato-Winston said.

If you are interested in contributing to Kansas Public Radio, you can visit kansaspublicradio.org to become a monthly donor.