ALAMOSA — Just five months shy of its 40th birthday, Alamosa-based KRZA Public Radio may find itself fighting for its life following President Trump’s May 1 Executive Order “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media." 

If it survives a court challenge, Trump’s order will end all federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS) by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Trump claims PBS and NPR are inaccurate and biased.  

CPB, a federally funded, independent, private non-profit corporation, was created by Congress in 1967 to ensure “free universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content”. Congress also directly authorized and funded CPB to operate “wholly independent of the federal government." 

CPB funding supports 354 PBS and 1,024 NPR stations in the form of Community Services Grants to stations like KRZA. 

After receiving the grant funding, KRZA decides which programs to purchase from NPR that will be the core of the programming. As an independent station, resources are very limited, making CPB grants the lifeblood of their operation. 

“Defunding [NPR] would hit smaller stations in rural areas the hardest,” says Katherine Maher, NPR president and CEO, when interviewed by NPR anchor Mary Louise Kelly. “They don’t have other options like urban stations. I’m concerned some would shut down.”  

“I feel heartbroken that NPR is even on the chopping block,” says KRZA General Manager Gerald Rodriguez.  

Unlike other markets where multiple public radio stations serve densely populated areas, KRZA is the only public, non-commercial, national, local news and music radio station in a listening area that extends west to Del Norte, east to the summit of La Veta Pass, north to Crestone and south to Taos, N.M. 

Their diverse 24/7 programming includes two-hour drive-time blocks of news (Morning Edition in the morning and All Things Considered in the afternoon) interspersed with local news (A Las Ocho), other popular NPR shows (such as Fresh Air, Here and Now and Science Friday) and eclectic music ranging from Latin to 70s soft rock to “psychedelic” rock to the Blues to classical. It’s scheduled that way because Rodriguez listens to listeners and that’s what listeners like. 

Gerald Rodriguez, who’s the same age as the station, has worked at KRZA for 16 years, the last 11 as general manager. Since taking over, he’s garnered a reputation for being scrupulously frugal, reducing staff through attrition from eight employees down to just two full-time employees - Andrew McCallister, whose dual role is Music Director and Volunteer Coordinator, and himself - plus two part-timers who work 10 hours each per week. Volunteers fill in the gaps.  

He keeps a keen eye on his equipment, transmitters and antennae and pro-actively budgets for needed upgrades or new equipment to replace what he knows can’t be fixed again if it breaks. 

When equipment breaks, he doesn’t pay a technician to do the repair. The first time he spoke with the Valley Courier, Rodriguez had just gotten back from his second trip snowshoeing up San Antonio Mountain in almost waist-deep snow in freezing cold temperatures to fix a broken transmitter. 

When asked how much time he donates to the station, he just laughs. “A lot.”  

It’s clear KRZA is Rodriguez’s passion but he is equally committed to the listeners.  

“They’re very devoted. Some don’t have TVs or social media, and KRZA is like their companion. Others choose KRZA because they don’t like commercials. But everybody listens because of NPR programming and the music.” 

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and NPR programming is not inexpensive, making KRZA reliant on CBP for funding. Rodriguez also applies for other grants and KRZA holds fund drives two times a year, but despite being loyal listeners, the market is still relatively small and not everyone can afford to pledge. Even successful drives only net about 20% of the funding received from CPB. 

If KRZA lost CPB funding for NPR, Rodriguez thinks first of the listeners. “It would be hard for them. Really hard. We hear all the time that NPR is the only national news they listen to and the other shows are really popular, too. Without the Community Services Grant from CPB for NPR, we’d lose at least 40% of our programming, maybe more. I’d probably have to lay off my staff. And,” he adds quietly, “I’d have to be here all the time.” 

He also dismisses the claim of bias. “I listen to it all day and it isn’t partisan. It’s middle of the road. My degree’s in Journalism, and NPR just reports what’s going on. They report the facts. They cover some stories people like Donald Trump may not like, but they just report it the way it is.” 

As of right now, things appear to be in limbo. Trump wants to claw back $1.1 billion – CPB is funded on a two year cycle – but it hasn’t happened yet. Meanwhile, on Monday, NPR and three Colorado public radio stations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming his order restricts First Amendment rights.  

USA Today quotes NPR CEO Maher as saying, “We’ll vigorously defend our right to provide essential news, information and life-saving services to the American people.” 

Rodriguez is much more plain-spoken. “We already struggle every year, but we’re still here. If this happens, it would be one of the most difficult things I’ve experienced in my life.” 

For more information about KRZA, go to their website at www.krza.org or call (719) 589-8844. 

Note: The highly comprehensive Media Bias/Fact Check (https://mediabiasfactcheck.com) rates NPR as “Leans slightly left” for story selection and “High” for factual reporting based on thorough sourcing and accurate news reporting.