With federal funding in danger of being cut off by the Trump administration, Lehigh Valley Public Media is preparing in case it needs to plug holes in its budget, of which about 20% comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Monday's board meeting included a lengthy discussion about what could be done, but there's still a lot of unknowns for the organization, which is made up of PBS39, WLVR -- which broadcasts National Public Radio and Lehigh University student programs -- and the Lehigh Valley News website.
This month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the CPB to end federal funding for NPR and PBS. The White House is reportedly planning to formally request that Congress eliminate previously approved federal funding for the nation's public media.
"We don't know, right? There's a lot of hurry up and wait," said Laks Srinivasan, interim CEO of LVPM. "The only thing that is in black and white is an executive order. If you look at our fiscal year 2025 budget, it is about 20% and that is not insignificant.
"We are fortunate that we have an investment fund," he said. "When it happens, you know it will be an issue, but right now, there isn't anything for us to react to."
Board Chair Michael Keim said there are a lot of moving factors, such as buying content, but any changes won't come until next year's budget.
"It doesn't affect us for this fiscal year," he said. "If anything, it will affect the future in 2026, which means more than ever our community needs to be aware and support us."
Keim said fundraising will become more critical, adding that tapping LVPM's endowment for additional funding is not a desirable option.
In its April financial report, LVPM had an investment balance of $73.2 million. That endowment originated with a 2017 Federal Communications Commission spectrum "incentive auction."
Through April, the organization's revenue is running about $869,000 below budget, with year-to-date revenue of $3.2 million as opposed to a budgeted $4 million. Of that, $929,379 came from CPB funding.
In another matter, the future of WLVR is still uncertain. The board has been discussing where the radio station, which broadcasts at 91.3 FM, fits into LVPM's plans. It is owned by Lehigh University, but run by LVPM under a 2019 agreement.
"The conversation with Lehigh University is continuing," Srinivasan said.