WUCF in Central Florida lost millions of dollars as federal funding was eliminated when Congress voted to rescind all federal funding for public media.
For WUCF, that means a loss of nearly $2 million that directly supports the educational resources, trusted national and local programming, jazz music, and emergency alerts provided across Central Florida. Since 2012, WUCF has carried the mission of public media to educate and inform in Central Florida.
WUCF also said that the loss of federal funding comes on the heels of a recent veto that also eliminated state funding for stations.
“This is not just about funding. It’s about protecting every Central Florida child who depends on free educational programming,” WUCF Executive Director Jennifer Cook said in a recent fundraising message.
While admitting it is currently a difficult situation, the station is trying to transform WUCF into a resilient, community-powered public media station with money raised from the community.
“WUCF is still here, still committed, and still working every day to inform, educate, and connect Central Florida. We change lives. That work is only possible because of you,” Cook’s fundraising message stated. “If you believe in the power of early childhood education, access to trusted local programming, and life-saving emergency information — we invite you to stand with us.”
WUCF gets community-supported public broadcasting from UCF and is located at Research Parkway in Orlando.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissions package and the release of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill, which excludes funding for CPB for the first time in more than five decades.
“Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said. “We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.”
