FACT BRIEFDo Nevada public broadcasters get a majority of their funding from the federal government?
No.
Public media outlets in the state all individually receive less than 20 percent of their revenue from federal funding.
Of the two public radio stations, KUNR’s budget consists of 15 percent federal funding, and KNPR’s revenue is 8 percent from federal funding.
PBS Reno and Vegas PBS are in similar boats. PBS Reno receives 17 percent of its budget from federal funding and Vegas PBS’s budget draws 12 percent from federal funding.
The majority of their budgets rely on donations, memberships and fundraising events.
Federal funding helps support local reporters and supply equipment the stations may need. An executive order from President Donald Trump in May 2025 sought to cut the funding.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Nevada Independent partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting Grants and Allocations: Nevada
- KUNR KUNR and federal funding: why it supports our public media mission
- Vegas PBS Public Media Needs You - Stand with Vegas PBS
- The Nevada Independent Nevada stations rallying their supporters after Trump orders federal cuts to PBS and NPR
It’s up to all of us to spread the truth.
Nevada lawmakers will be in session until June, and the fate of the bills they are debating will hinge in large part on the quality of the facts they’re working with.
Do free school lunches increase food waste? Do red flag laws reduce suicide rates? Does universal pre-K boost the economy?
We want to bring independent, rigorous fact checks to inform the public and policymakers on these crucial questions. We’re doing it through briefs that clearly answer a question with a yes or no in 150 words or less.
The Nevada Independent is always on the lookout for claims that could use a fact check. But we could use your eyes and ears too. If you're on social media or consuming news and come across a statement that raises questions for you — let us know.
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