PBS Hawaii president responds to national PBS, NPR Capitol Hill hearing
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - On Wednesday, a U.S. House subcommittee called on the CEOs of Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio to testify on Capitol Hill about the federal funding their organizations receive.
The hearing was led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, who is accused the two networks of profound liberal bias.
“NPR and PBS have increasingly become radical left wing eco chambers for a narrow audience,” said Greene.
Currently, around $535 million are allocated from Congress to the Corporations for Public Broadcasting.
PBS Hawaii president and CEO Ron Mizutani responded to Wednesday’s hearing.
“PBS Hawai’i has been here for more than 60 years and public media has had bipartisan support in Congress for more than five decades. One of the reasons is trust.”
PBS Hawaii receives around 20% of its revenue in federal funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which is federal funded.
Mizutani said PBS Hawaii uses 100% of the grant to cover the purchase and broadcasting costs.
Hawaii’s PBS and public radio stations produce their own local content, like the “Insight” series, which tackles key issues in the state.
Hawaii Public Radio told HNN it gets 94% of its funding from local sources and about 6% from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
A full statement from PBS Hawaii read:
“PBS Hawai’i has been here for more than 60 years and public media has had bipartisan support in Congress for more than five decades. One of the reasons is trust. According to the 2025 Proof Insights Survey, PBS has been named America’s most trusted institution for 22 years in a row. That’s important to understand. Public media funding helps PBS Hawai’i remain a vital and accessible resource for our community. While any reduction in funding will affect how we do business, it won’t change our mission or our identity as Hawai’i’s only locally owned statewide television station. We will continue to provide reliable local and national content, public affairs and educational programming.
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