Public radio stations targeted for cuts by Trump offer lifelines to listeners during disasters
Public radio stations have been a lifeline for residents during natural disasters that take out power, the internet and cell towers. In many remote and rural areas across the U.S., they can be a lone source of local news.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville, North Carolina, the sound coming from open car windows as residents gathered on a street at the top of a ridge trying to get cell service last fall was Blue Ridge Public Radio. And as they stood in line for water or food, the latest news they had heard on the station was a frequent topic of conversation.
“The public radio station was alerting people what was going on,” said Lisa Savage, who volunteered at an area church after the hurricane.
Now, public radio stations are being targeted for cuts by President Donald Trump. This week, he signed an executive order aimed at slashing public subsidies to NPR and PBS, alleging “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.
Public radio stations have been a lifeline for residents during natural disasters that take out power, the internet and cell towers. And in many remote and rural areas across the U.S., they can be a lone source of local news.
About a week after she had volunteered in the Asheville area, Savage recalled driving through another hard-hit community and hearing updates on Blue Ridge Public Radio on where residents could pick up water.
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