Almost six months after federal funds were rescinded from the organization, Wyoming lawmakers may be eliminating state funding for Wyoming Public Media as part of a broader package of proposed budget cuts to the University of Wyoming.
The decision came last week during a meeting of the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee, which is drafting a budget bill ahead of next month’s legislative session. The panel voted to prohibit state dollars from passing through the University of Wyoming’s block grant to support Wyoming Public Media, which is licensed to the university but operates with editorial independence.
Rep. Ken Pendergraft (R) introduced the motion to defund the network, arguing that public media funding falls outside the proper role of government, comparing public radio to former USSR state newspaper, Pravda. Other lawmakers challenged that framing, warning that the comparison blurred the line between public funding and editorial control.
WPM General Manager Christina Kuzmych told WyoFile the station was “disappointed but not discouraged” by the vote and pledged to continue making its case to lawmakers. According to Kuzmych, the funding cut would impact eight staff members across news and engineering and significantly limit statewide coverage.
The core Wyoming Public Radio network consists of more than 20 full-power FM stations licensed across Wyoming, anchored by flagship KUWR 91.9 FM in Laramie, designed to reach one of the nation’s most sparsely populated states. Beyond its main news-and-information service, WPM operates two additional statewide music networks, Wyoming Sounds and Classical Wyoming.
The $1.69 million public media cut was part of a larger package of reductions aimed at the University of Wyoming, the state’s only four-year public university. The committee also approved a $40 million reduction to UW’s block grant, representing roughly 11% of its state funding. Additional cuts targeted UW athletics, a critical minerals research initiative, a family medicine residency program, and fundraising match dollars.
The Joint Appropriations Committee’s vote is not the final word. The budget now moves to the full Legislature starting February 9, where lawmakers can amend, restore, or redirect funding before a final bill is passed and sent to the governor. Should the budget pass, Wyoming would become the third state to deny funds to public media since May, alongside Indiana and Florida.
Who are these lawmakers going to blame when a disaster hits their state and the public broadcasters that are often now the last boots-on-the-ground news groups in the state are not there to spread information? Do they really think iHeart is going to step in? Or maybe they hope all the overwhelmed cell networks will be the answer? Reminds me of the old adage about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
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