BBC World Service Departs KRPS Schedule at the end of June

KRPS | By Fred Fletcher-Fierro

Published June 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT

Due to the on-going threat of a Congressional clawback of KRPS’s Community Service Grant provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting the station is prioritizing local staff and core NPR programming.

Hello KRPS Donors and Listeners, Fred here

Perhaps you’ve heard on KRPS or another public radio or television station that our Federal Funding is under threat of being clawed back. Public media funding, through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for 2026 - 2027 has already been approved by Congress, and now they are going through the process of taking it back from us.

One thing to note, public media funding is approved in a two-year bundle, although we receive the funding annually. Earlier this month the House passed a bill to allow the clawback process to continue to the Senate, where we expect a rescission vote by mid-July.

Due to this funding uncertainty, KRPS will no longer broadcast the BBC World Service effective Monday, June 30th.

KRPS welcomes The Jazz Network overnights starting June 30 at midnight.

Also, on Monday 6/30 NPR’s Here & Now returns to our schedule on weekdays starting at 11 am.

During our Spring campaign, I heard from members who did not like music show repeats. As a result, on June 16, KRPS returned NPR's Mountain Stage, Monday nights at 7. Also, this Sunday at 10 p.m. KRPS welcomes Folk Alley to our broadcast schedule.

We also expect to add WFMT’s Midnight Special starting Saturday, July 5 from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

More dramatic programming changes will occur if KRPS loses our CPB Community Service Grant. ⅓ of KRPS’s annual budget is comprised of the CSG grant.

KRPS is not the only public station making drastic changes to its programming schedule or layoffs ahead of a rescission vote next month.

Citing budget concerns, WPR lays off staff, cuts programs - June 20, 2025

New York Public Radio to Lay Off About 7% of Staff - February 25, 2025

GBH cuts more than 40 staffers in new layoffs - June 2, 2025

LAist cuts staff by 5%, citing ongoing budget strain and potential federal funding loss - May 6, 2025

PBS furloughs 25% of PBS Kids staff following Ready To Learn cuts - May 20, 2025

Please consider visiting ProtectMyPublicMedia.org to voice your support for KRPS and 100’s of other public radio and television stations across the country.

Thank you,
Fred Fletcher-Fierro
KRPS GM