Birmingham’s WBHM loses 10% of budget due to federal cuts to NPR

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Like many National Public Radio member stations across the country, WBHM in Birmingham is now scrambling for money after Congress rescinded over $1 billion dedicated to public media.

On Thursday night, the House of Representatives voted to take back over $1 billion in federal funds to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funds to NPR and PBS. The action comes after the Trump administration recommended Congress defund the CPB, arguing that public media had a liberal slant and did not deserve federal funding.

While federal funding makes up only 1% of NPR’s budget, the money stretches further when it comes to local stations, who pay for NPR programming, sometimes accounting for at least 10% or more of their budget. Analysts have predicted that funding cuts would likely cause many stations outside the major media markets to either consolidate resources or shut down entirely, especially in rural areas.

WBHM, Birmingham’s NPR station based out of UAB, is one of those stations that will be affected by the cuts. In a letter to subscribers, WBHM Executive Director Will Dahlberg said the funding cuts would affect 10% of the station’s budget.

“For decades, federal funding has served as a foundation for WBHM, allowing us to produce vital local news, special coverage and public conversations on pressing issues impacting our community,” Dahlberg wrote. “Without it, we risk losing our ability to respond in times of crisis like during the 2011 tornado outbreak or the pandemic, or to provide in-depth reporting on critical issues.”

This year, WBHM was expected to receive nearly $190,000 from the CPB, which Dahlberg said the station would now have to cover itself in order to make up the difference.

In his letter, Dahlberg called the cuts a “serious and immediate challenge.”

“This decision will force difficult choices, but we will do everything possible to preserve our journalism and the role we play in strengthening our region,” Dahlberg wrote. “However, we can’t do it without you. Without federal funding, listener support matters more than ever before.”

WBHM first launched in 1976 under Florence Monroe, the station’s first general manager who had previously worked at WNYE-FM in New York City. By 1987, WBHM became a 24-hour radio station.

Like many media outlets, WBHM has weathered difficult times in recent years. In 2023, the station laid off four employees, including program director Michael Krall and reporter Cody Short. In 2020, WBHM partnered with other NPR stations across the Southeast to launch the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaborative effort to cover news across Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Dahlberg ended his message by directing the public to donate to WBHM. Those interested in supporting the station can do so by clicking here.