KUT News, a local National Public Radio affiliate, will operate without federal funding on Wednesday for the first time in more than 50 years due to congressional budget cuts over the summer. The station’s goal is to fully function with funds from the general public moving forward.
The federal government rescinded over $1 billion originally allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in July. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, CBP funding made up about 6% of KUT’s annual budget, according to the station’s website. Given this change, KUT, which is located in the Moody College of Communication, set a goal this fall to gain 1,000 new members to counteract funding losses.
“Since the loss of federal funding, we are now 100% community funded, sustained by community businesses, listeners, readers and fans like you,” a Sept. 15 KUT Instagram post read.
After an emergency fundraiser in July, Wade Lee, assistant general manager for strategy, engagement and development, said KUT worked to develop a fall drive to significantly increase membership while keeping the station’s current members informed.
“When it was time to act, we could because what we didn’t want to do is go into a situation and pull a fire alarm,” Lee said. “We wanted to make sure that we were fully transparent and that we acted at the right time.”
Lee said KUT members stepped up during the drive. The station gained more than 500 new members in just one day after starting the drive. By the end of the event, KUT gained 522 members, going toward its 1,000-member goal, according to an Instagram post by the station.
“They came to the rescue,” Lee said. “That was something that was needed.”
Lee said KUT does not plan to slow down its programming because of the potential that further funding cuts will be made. The station plans to launch a daily show and another one dedicated to Austin cultural coverage, he said.
“We feel like we can fill a void,” Lee said. “We’re going to continue to do things and continue to be bold.”
Nadia Petru, a radio-television-film junior, interned at the KUT audio department last fall. She said she is grateful that KUT’s programming and ability to run are protected.
“KUT is a really big thing in Austin, they do so much with smaller artists and big artists,” Petru said. “(They do) different events, it’s so many different ideas.”
KUT spokesperson Erin Geisler said internship opportunities were not affected by cuts, as their funding comes from an anonymous donor, not federal funding. KUT offers internships in reporting, audience engagement and audio production, among others.
Petru said her time at KUT helped her work with different artists and gain experience in the music scene. She said KUT’s work is important, and she will continue listening to its work.
Lee said KUT will not change or scale back its community initiatives because of the cuts.
“What we’re going to do is keep doing our best,” Lee said. “Being bold and serving the community.”
