MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Last week, the House of Representatives finalized the Rescissions Act of 2025, which includes pulling roughly $1.1 billion dollars in previously approved funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), supporting PBS and NPR News.
These cuts have quickly made their way to hundreds of rural TV and radio stations under the CPB, such as WNMU. Over the next two years, the cuts are estimated at $2.2 million dollars in losses to the university-based station.
“There have been threats before of federal funding being cut or reduced, but this is the first time that this level of cut has happened,” said WNMU General Manager, Patrick Lakenen. “So, it’s unprecedented for WNMU, and for the whole public media ecosystem.”
For well over 50 years, the station has been a reliable source for important broadcasts. These include AMBER alerts, weather emergencies, national and global news, and children’s educational television, reaching about 250,000 people across the Upper Peninsula.
“When you turn on your WNMU station tomorrow, we’re still going to be there, handling emergency alerts as the hub of the central U.P.,” said Lakenen. “Our goal is to make sure we can continue with that as much as possible.”
While WNMU heavily relies on public funding through local fundraising and contributions from viewers and listeners, federal funds make up one-third of the station’s overall revenue.
“We’re fortunate to have very generous support from the community for both radio and TV, but we also know that we have to seek out alternative funding,” explained Lakenen. “We can’t expect the community to cover this kind of loss of federal funds.”
WNMU is currently in contact with Michigan lawmakers to reinstate some level of funding in the Fiscal year 2026 appropriations. Lakenen says the station will keep the public updated as those talks progress.
