BALTIMORE — For the first time in its existence, Maryland Public Television has been completely iced out of Uncle Sam’s wallet.

Since retaking the White House in January, President Donald Trump has gained ground in his battles against legacy media. But he also has raided the only news group, more or less, in his control: public media.

Through an executive order, Trump defunded NPR and PBS in May, calling government contributions outdated, unnecessary and “corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.” Congress quickly followed up, stripping $1.1 billion weeks later from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helped finance the cut-off networks as well as more than 1,500 public radio and television stations nationwide — including Maryland’s.

MPT President and CEO Steven J. Schupak said Trump and Congress’ decision could cut support for smaller stations in half, while Maryland’s is taking a roughly 10% hit. A fail-safe written into the state’s code could eventually provide relief. But in the meantime, Schupak said, fundraisers, foundations and “Viewers Like You” are helping the network stay steady and straight.

“This recession [in funding] has really hurt the PBS system. It’s a big blow,” Schupak said. “On the other hand, we are committed to be here for the next 50 years and serve Maryland. And we will do that.”

For lifelong learners ‘of every age’

From its headquarters in Owings Mills, MPT first went on the air in 1969, two years after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law establishing public media. In the decades since, the station has grown to operate four all-day, everyday channels through six transmitters, projecting historical, artistic, human interest and children’s programming across the state.

Unlike many broadcasters and distributors, PBS proper does not create its own content. Instead, it relies on local stations to produce shows, documentaries and learning material that can be shared with others, even for its most popular and topical programs. “PBS News Hour,” for instance, comes out of Washington, while the investigative series “Frontline” and hobbyist “Antiques Roadshow” both hail from Boston.

In fiscal year 2025, MPT rolled out 108 hours of original content with more than 200 productions for local and national audiences, according to a fact sheet from the broadcaster. Together, its catalogue showcased what manufacturing (“Made in Maryland”) and farming (“Maryland Farm & Harvest”) look like in Maryland; where collectible treasures can be found here and how much they’re worth (“Chesapeake Collectibles”); as well as weekly political coverage (“State Circle”). The station’s national automotive program, “MotorWeek,” celebrated its 45th year in 2025.

“Our No. 1 service is for lifelong learners who are interested in education and resources, and that’s kids of every age,” the MPT president said.

A state safety net

From his corner office, Schupak told The Sun that the largest contributor in its $41.9 million budget isn’t the federal government but the state, whose records show more than $36 million of allocations in FY2025.

According to the station’s latest annual report, in that period, Maryland residents contributed $3.39 each between state and federal taxes — a figure that could increase as the state steps in to soften the financial blow from Congress.

Years ago, as Trump flung threats at public media during his first term, a 2017 bill co-sponsored by 14 Maryland state senators was passed issuing safeguards to its local broadcasters. The law protected “any decline” in federal allocations and the Department of Legislative Services described it as a “funding floor to prevent losses” from Washington.

However, the way the bill is written means MPT will not see funding beyond its annual budget for two years.

“It takes quite a long time to get that reimbursement,” Schupak said, adding he was confident MPT would still be able “to deliver 100% on our mission.”

Station spokesperson Tom Williams said that because of the delay in the budget protection law, it was too early to tell how much the state’s assistance would add to taxes.

David Williams, president of the nonpartisan Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said with the national debt topping $38 trillion, cutting off public broadcasting at the federal level “was a much-needed step.” He also said in Maryland, where tax hikes couldn’t prevent a nearly $1.5 billion deficit from taking shape, private, university and endowment funding would make more sense for such media.

Williams told The Sun that his organization was not necessarily pushing for corporate or for-profit news but that “taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay” for the service.

“People complain that these won’t be funded, yet these are the same people that aren’t donating,” he said. “If they really do care about this public broadcasting, or Maryland’s public broadcasting, well, they should put their money where their mouth is.”

Prudent and ‘very, very cautious’

When Trump renewed his intentions against public media, fundraising went “up across the board,” according to Schupak — topping $11.5 million in the last year, per MPT’s annual report.

The station leader said, however, that this current wave of support cannot be seen as long-term security.

Because donations are voluntary and uncertain, Schupak said fearing their loss “affects everything” from staffing to the productions themselves. For instance, whereas year-to-year turnover has always required MPT to hire “a fair amount” of people, the CEO said his station had only 10 open positions in mid-December.

“We’re being very, very cautious to make sure we don’t spend more than we have,” he said.

As a public broadcaster, MPT benefits from avoiding some of the incentives or restraints surrounding commercial media, Schupak said, explaining that the station’s best way to grow and maintain its audience is to “meet our viewers where they are” — 52% of its audience, he said, now comes from streaming — and “focus on the programs that they love.”

For many, that means protecting its bank of children’s shows.

According to the PBS Foundation, of the roughly 36 million people who watch their local stations each month, 15.5 million are watching PBS KIDS. And appeals to its programming have often become the face of public funding debates.

In 1969, Fred Rogers, host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” testified before Congress and successfully rebuked cuts proposed by the Nixon administration.

More than a half-century later, as congressional Republicans condemned PBS and NPR as “anti-American” in a March hearing, one of their Democratic colleagues sarcastically asked if Elmo, the red-furred “Sesame Street” star, was a member of the Communist Party.

“Well, he is a puppet,” replied PBS CEO Paula Kerger. “But no.”

One of MPT’s four channels is dedicated solely to PBS KIDS, making classic shows like “Arthur” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog” available all day alongside ongoing productions like “Cyberchase.”

And over the years, the station has made its own contributions to the children’s catalogue. In the mid-1990s, safari adventurers Chris and Martin Kratt got their big break on MPT with “Kratts’ Creatures,” launching their decades-long career in public television that included “Zoboomafoo” and continues with the animated “Wild Kratts.”

Today, MPT creates the educational material paired with “Carl the Collector,” PBS’ first show with a lead character on the autism spectrum.

Tributes to the beloved names and faces that have guided public television for generations are sprinkled throughout the MPT campus. An entire hallway is adorned with publicity photos and cut-outs, like a portrait of Arthur’s aardvark family and a human-size Cookie Monster — uncharacteristically — holding a cake. Just inside the lobby, plush Elmo and Kermit the Frog toys dangled on a hanger, all next to an “I love MPT” step-and-repeat.

“Big Bird and Elmo will be here for years … and we don’t see that changing,” Schupak said.

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