Illustration by Rich Hauck.
WITF has faced funding threats before.
Over the years, many politicians and pundits have called for the end of federal financial support for public media. But, from administration to administration, the money continued to flow—often with strong bipartisan backing.
Then came 2025, when Congress, acting on orders from President Trump, passed a rescission bill that zeroed out funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supported public media stations and programs throughout the country.
Starved of funds, the CPB, created by Congress in 1967, is now shutting down.
As a result, starting in October, Harrisburg-based WITF will lose $1.3 million a year, or about 8% of its annual public media budget, according to Ron Hetrick, president and CEO of Pennon, the parent organization of WITF.
“I’m grateful that we’re in a position where we will be able to weather it,” Hetrick told me. “For us, this is not a fatal blow, but it’s not insignificant either.”
Smaller, more rural stations are even more threatened, Hetrick said, as are public music stations, such as Philadelphia-based WXPN, which has a significant audience in central Pennsylvania.
But it’s not just public media facing losses. Numerous food, school, parks, housing and immigrant programs have had their funds reduced, frozen or struck. Grants for arts groups have been recalled and eliminated. The same has happened to library, museum and environmental programs, among others.
In May, the National Endowment for the Arts abruptly cancelled grants to hundreds of arts groups—most local and small—and the Trump administration has proposed shutting down the NEA entirely.
I’m writing this column, though, not to point out how much is being lost to federal budget cutbacks. Instead, I’m writing it as a call to action. If there’s ever been a time for this community to step up, that time is now.
“I count ourselves lucky to have the community base and the megaphone that we do to reach out and make our case for support,” Hetrick said. “But I spend time with a lot of different fund raisers across all different genres, and there are so many needing to find a new way right now.”
Peter Winter Lee, for one, would be happy for your support, especially if you’re a fan of traditional American music.
Lee is the executive director of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society, which has received NEA grants dating all the way back to 1985. Most recently, his group was awarded a $22,000 grant to mount a multi-year, multi-faceted program featuring one of the most American of all instruments: the banjo.
In early May, that grant was caught up in the blanket rescission of NEA grants, which withdrew and terminated funding to hundreds of visual, performing, folk, educational and other art projects across the country.
“The N.E.A. is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the president,” read the boilerplate email received by the arts groups. “Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities.”
As a last-ditch effort, Lee appealed the denial and, to his surprise, learned in early August that his funding would be restored. So, the show goes on. Starting later this year, look for their program, “The Banjo: Torchbearers and Trailblazers,” which will take place at several area locations, including the Fort Hunter barn and the West Shore Theatre.
However, with federal funding priorities in flux and the NEA on the line, Lee knows that he cannot count on future support.
“We’ve tried to apply to the NEA every year, but we ultimately did not apply this year,” he said. “We kind of took a gap year just to see where the dust settles.”
Instead, the group is emphasizing other sources, including memberships, sponsorships and partnerships. Lee mentioned an ongoing effort to strengthen existing relationships with local libraries and with Dauphin County.
“We’re already seeing our community step up in ways to help keep this all going,” he said.
And that’s where you come in. What are your interests? If you’re a fan of public media, you might choose to become a member of WITF or WXPN. If you’re into the arts, Harrisburg has many fabulous theater, music and visual arts groups. Nonprofits that help feed and house people always need donations—perhaps now more than ever, given federal funding cuts.
Truly, it’s a target-rich environment. Maybe you’ve been meaning to donate but have been putting it off, for months, for years. I know that I’m guilty of this.
According to Hetrick, WITF serves about 300,000 people weekly, but only about 10% support the service financially.
“If we can just move those numbers up a couple percent, that makes a really big difference in terms of our ability to do more with public media,” he said.
Peter Winter Lee has another suggestion—get involved. If you embrace a cause, you’ll find participation even more rewarding. You may even make new friends from those who share your interest.
“We will always take donations, but the best way is to get to know us,” Lee said. “Come to a concert and bring a friend—then come to another concert. Just be there, become part of our community.”
Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.
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