Arkansas PBS would lose $2.5 million in programming and operational funds if President Donald Trump’s desired cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting come to fruition, interim executive director Sajni Kumpuris told the network’s governing board at its quarterly meeting Thursday.
Trump’s Tuesday proposal calls on Congress to eliminate $1.1 billion from the entity that provides funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. Lawmakers have 45 days from Tuesday to consider the request.
In the meantime, Kumpuris told the Arkansas PBS Commission, the agency should formulate a plan in case it loses 22% of its total funding.
“We will have to adjust and figure out what that means to us and tell you guys, ‘This is what it means as far as the services we offer without having that [money],’” Kumpuris said.
About half of the at-risk $2.5 million community service grant goes toward purchasing PBS programs to air, 30% of which is chosen by PBS’ national headquarters, and the other half covers operational expenses, such as running the public media network’s Conway studio and its statewide emergency weather alert system, Kumpuris said.
The commission has requested but not yet scheduled a meeting with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her senior staff “to discuss and brainstorm what the future of PBS is,” Chairman West Doss said.
“[Kumpuris] and staff have some ideas, but we felt like we might need to run it by the governor first,” Doss said.
The commission chose Kumpuris as interim executive director in May, succeeding Courtney Pledger. Kumpuris is Arkansas PBS’ education director and production director.
After an executive session, the commission voted Thursday to grant Kumpuris the minimum executive director salary of $155,000 as of July 1.
The network’s planned nationwide search for a permanent director is still getting underway, Doss said. The headhunting firms PBS’ national office has recommended are “too expensive for us right now,” but the network plans to advertise the job opening in “several national boards and publications,” he said.
“We’re not exactly sure how we’re going to handle it right now, but we’re still researching it,” Doss said.
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