In an 11th-hour and unexpected move, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cut close to $6 million in recurring funding to the state's public radio and public television stations Monday, the day before the 2025 budget took hold.
The cuts are a part of some $600 million in appropriations that the governor vetoed before signing the $115 billion budget Monday.
The $6 million in cuts to recurring funding equates to $100,000 for each of the state's public radio stations and more than $370,000 to each of the public television stations.
Most stations such as WGCU are dual-licensed. Florida Gulf Coast University holds both WGCU's local radio and television licenses.
The cuts come as the U.S. Senate is considering clawing back $1.1 billion in approved Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding, an essential source of support for the 1,500 local public radio and television stations across the country.
Public radio stations rely on donor contributions and corporate support. Funding for the emergency communications section, the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, was not cut.
This is a breaking news story and WGCU will have additional information throughout the day.
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Florida Gulf Coast University holds the broadcast license for WGCU Public Media. WGCU is a member-supported service of FGCU.
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