Amid the loss of state funding and the threat of potential federal funding cuts, the Indiana’s public broadcasting stations have proposed strategic changes and reductions for the IPB News statewide reporting collaboration.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision, but with the loss of state funding, individual stations have to make some very difficult decisions to address funding shortfalls and are focused on sustaining services to their local communities,” said Mark Newman, Executive Director of Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, Inc.
In April, Indiana’s two-year state budget proposal excluded $3.675 million per year in annual funding for Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, Inc. (IPBS), a critical investment that has long supported the essential services provided by public television and radio stations across the state. Seventeen public broadcasting stations—serving 95% of Hoosiers—deliver trusted journalism, lifelong learning and vital public safety information, free of charge to Indiana residents. This funding rollback directly affects the ability of stations to continue delivering these services at the scale and quality Hoosiers expect and rely on.
During this tumultuous time, Indiana stations remain steadfast in their mission to deliver free access to vital news and information. Individual stations will continue to collaborate on statewide reporting relying on the deep community knowledge and on-the-ground work of local reporters who live in, listen to, and report for their own communities. This proposed approach and reorganization to the IPB News statewide reporting collaboration is an immediate consequence of state funding cuts. Specifics of the plan will be released in the near future.