BETHLEHEM, Pa. — President Donald Trump’s recent executive order halting federal funding for PBS and NPR could impact essential programming and services that thousands of Lehigh Valley residents rely on daily.

The White House has characterized public media outlets as receiving taxpayer funding to spread biased news content, a characterization disputed by PBS and NPR leadership.

Congressional leaders from both parties have expressed concern about the executive order, with several lawmakers arguing that the president lacks unilateral authority to eliminate funding that Congress has appropriated.

According to Lehigh Valley Public Media Interim CEO Laks Srinivasan, the company that operates PBS39, 91.3 WLVR, and LehighValleyNews.com stands to lose just over $1 million annually—approximately 20 percent of its operating budget.

For many Lehigh Valley families, PBS39 represents more than just television programming.

According to PBS national viewership data, over 58% of all U.S. homes with televisions watch PBS programming yearly, with children’s educational content being among the most viewed.

PBS39’s 2023 annual impact report shows that the station’s Ready to Learn initiative has served more than 7,000 local children since 2018.

The program provides free educational resources to help teachers and parents develop early science and literacy skills for children in the Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton districts.

“Scholastic Scrimmage,” celebrating its 50th year on PBS39, has featured students from nearly every high school in the region. Over 30 schools will compete in this season’s competition, which begins its broadcast in November.

According to Corporation for Public Broadcasting data, public media stations like PBS39 and WLVR reach more than 99% of American households, including areas with limited access to broadband internet—a particular concern in rural parts of Northampton and Lehigh counties.

The potential impact extends to local journalism as well.

WLVR and LehighValleyNews.com have expanded local news coverage at a time when commercial newsrooms have contracted.

According to a 2023 Pew Research Center report, more than 3,000 newspapers have closed since 2005, creating news deserts across America.

The Lehigh Valley has seen its own media consolidation, with the Morning Call reducing staff significantly in the past decade, according to data from the NewsGuild-CWA union.

WLVR has helped fill this gap with expanded local reporting, including coverage of Allentown’s NIZ development, Bethlehem’s economic revitalization, and crucial reporting on local government.

While Lehigh Valley Public Media may be better positioned than smaller stations to weather these cuts, thanks to approximately $70 million in investments from a 2017 FCC spectrum auction, the funding loss will still affect local programming and services.

According to the CPB’s 2023 appropriations report, federal funding provides an essential financial foundation that enables stations to secure additional funding from state governments, universities, businesses, and individual donors.

Lehigh Valley Public Media’s impact extends beyond traditional broadcasting to include:

  • Spanish Literacy programs reaching over 500 families annually in the Lehigh Valley’s growing Hispanic community, which comprises 25.4% of Allentown’s population according to U.S. Census data.
  • Exposure to the Arts at the Allentown Art Museum, which has provided museum access to more than 5,000 students from underserved communities since 2019.
  • Distribution of approximately 10,000 free books annually to children in schools with high rates of economic disadvantage

Srinivasan emphasized that community support will be crucial as they navigate these new financial challenges.

Despite the funding cuts, the organization will continue operations, though services may need to be adjusted.

For the approximately 840,000 residents of the Lehigh Valley who have access to PBS39 and WLVR programming, the coming months will likely bring changes as these organizations adapt to new financial realities while striving to maintain their community services.