KWMR

“Oof…”

July 22, 2025

You know that terrible feeling in your stomach that you get when something terrible happens? I felt that when I woke up on Friday morning to the news that H.R.4, the Rescission Act of 2025 had passed the Senate and the House and was getting sent to the president for signature.

I watched a lot of C-SPAN last week and was encouraged by our representatives who stood up for the public media system. So many radio stations like KWMR are not NPR affiliates, nor are we part of PBS, yet we are also funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to the tune of $158K per year (26% of our budget). CPB supports more than 1500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations across the country. Oof is right.

Can you say “Media Desert?”

I have written a letter to the community which you can read HERE .

I interviewed a public media expert yesterday who used to work at CPB. He currently is the CEO of Public Media Company. My interview with Tim Isgitt is HERE.

On Thursday, after the Senate had introduced a record number of amendments (46) to try to carve out funds being cut in this big bill. Only one amendment survived and it was not the one to protect public media funding.

Mind you, this was funding that was already appropriated and voted into law earlier this year by Congress. They used the rarely used Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which allows for an expedited process for Congress to consider cuts to existing programs by a simple majority vote. They just did not have the votes. Congress may have set a precedent for abdicating the power of the purse.

On Thursday the writing was on the wall, but I still held out a shred of hope that the House might vote it down (ever the optimist). I was having my portrait taken that afternoon and was determined not to cry.

I was asked to sit and strike different poses and was consistently told to “look happy.” I finally stated that I was not happy and the photographer’s assistant, also a KWMR programmer, proceeded to break down why. That is when I started to cry. Session over.

Thankfully they got a few good shots. Here is one where I am not “happy” but more determined to make the situation work. I’m ready to work hard with all of you to ensure that KWMR stays strong and can provide creative, funny, informative, groovy, and potentially life-saving information to West Marin and beyond.