Too Much TV: Trump Administration Sends Bill To Congress Slashing Funding For PBS, NPR

After weeks of public threats, the Trump Administration came after the Corporation For Public Broadcasting on Tuesday.

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, June 3rd 2025:

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEKS TO CUT $1.1 BILLION OF FEDERAL FUNDS SLATED FOR PUBLIC MEDIA
As promised, today The Trump Administration sent a proposal to Congress that would cut $9.4 billion in previously approved spending, including $1.1 Billion slated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit entity that distributes money to public media.

On Friday, PBS and one of its member stations in northern Minnesota sued President Trump and several cabinet officials, alleging the president’s May 1st executive order directing that PBS be defunded as part of the CPB cutbacks violated the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Currently, the CPB operates on a two-year advanced appropriation cycle, something set up by Congress to try to shield it from political interference. This so-called "Rescissions Of Budgetary Resources" proposal would cut the annual $535 million in funding CPB is set to receive for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

This proposal would rescind $535 million, the full amount appropriated in FY 2024 for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in advance for FY 2026. CPB's base appropriation is disbursed to public radio and public television systems in accordance with a statutory formula outlined in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as amended. These funds would be used to subsidize a public media system that is politically biased and an unnecessary expense to the taxpayer. Enacting the rescission would eliminate Federal funding for CPB.

These rescissions would eliminate programs that are antithetical to American interests, such as funding the World Health Organization, LGBTQI+ activities, "equity" programs, radical Green New Deal-type policies, and color revolutions in hostile places around the world.

Along with the proposed cuts to the CPB, the rescission proposal would also withdraw the United States from The World Health Organization (WHO), eliminate the U.S. contribution to the U.N. Peacekeeping Force, $500 million of the $4 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for Global Health Programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which funds activities related to child and maternal health, HIV/ AIDS, and infectious diseases, as well as remove $400 million of the $6 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for global health programs for the Department of State and implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Global Health Programs account funds activities related to controlling HIV/AIDS.

This proposal would also rescind $1.7 billion of the $3.6 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for the Economic Support Fund (ESF). "The ESF account is intended to fund assistance programs in countries of strategic importance to the United States to meet economic development needs, but has been used to fund radical gender and climate projects. Enacting this rescission would align with the Administration's ongoing efforts to eliminate unnecessary programming at the U.S. Agency for International Development and refocus remaining resources on activities that align with an America First foreign policy."

And as you might expect, some of the rescissions involve immigration programs. The proposal would rescind $800 million of the $3.2 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA). MRA funds the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and provides overseas humanitarian assistance through the Department of State. "These funds support activities that could be more fairly shared with non-U.S. Government donors, providing savings to the U.S. taxpayer," the proposal states.

I mention all of these non-CPB rescissions because they point to a way to potentially to head off Congressional approval of this package. Some people might be fine eliminating federal funding of public media, but think cutting money for HIV/AIDS programs or overseas humanitarian programs is a bad idea. It doesn't matter why someone decides to call their legislator and demand they vote no on the bill. What matters are the numbers and the overall pressure against the package. While in theory, parts of the proposal could be dropped while other parts are approved, the reality is that it's likely to get down to an all or nothing vote in Congress.

So if you believe this is a bad idea, reach out to your elected representatives. And I suppose if you don't want your tax dollars going to any of these things, feel free to call as well. But you don’t have to.

CURRENT SEASONS OF 'WHEEL OF FORTUNE,' 'JEOPARDY!' COMING TO STREAMING FOR THE FIRST TIME
Sony Pictures Television has struck a series of licensing deals, which will allow Peacock, Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, to stream Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy! the day after their linear airing. It marks the first time that in-season syndicated episodes will be available on national streaming platforms and the deals also include access to library episodes of the shows.

These deals come as Sony and CBS are in the midst of a legal battle over control of the linear distribution of both shows. A May 29th ruling gave the distribution rights back to CBS until the legal battle with Sony was over.

TWEET OF THE DAY

If I could write an oral history of one show, it would be Nash Bridges. Over the years, I have heard some truly insane stories about the making of the show, from the antics of series star Don Johnson to the murder's row of future icons working in the writer's room of the series. But I am skeptical that I could convince some book company to advance me the money to report it out.

THIS IS WHY I USED THE WORD 'APPARENT' IN YESTERDAY'S JONATHAN JOSS STORY
When I posted the story yesterday about the murder of Jonathan Joss, I received a lot of angry feedback from readers. Some people were unhappy I had described the murder as an "apparent hate crime" in the headline. And others were upset that I had included previous comments from Joss that suggested a different cause for the fire that destroyed his house earlier this year than the one cited in the message posted by Joss' husband after the murder.

I used the word "apparent" because that is what it was at the time. His husband, who witnessed the murder, described it vividly as an anti-gay hate crime and I had no reason to doubt it. But if I've learned one thing over the years, it's not to let outrage cloud my news judgement.

And the reason why that matters is because then I am not stuck trying to backtrack on my reporting as new details come to light. Yesterday's news outraged me, but I worked to simply report what I could tell from statements and other news coverage.

Today, the San Antonio Police Department said in a statement they have not established a connection between the incident and Joss’ sexuality. A public information officer for the San Antonio Police Department told me this afternoon that suspect Sigfredo Alvarez Cejam, 56, was detained after fleeing the scene in a vehicle and was booked for murder. But while the investigation continues, so far Cejam hasn't been charged with a hate crime.

“Our investigation has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation. We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly."

Does this mean I believe the police account of the murder and the motivation behind it? Not necessarily. But I'll report their statements, as well as anything else that is uncovered in the coming days. I have a feeling this story is going to be a messy one to unravel.

THE WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY BOARDS SLAPS DOWN CEO DAVID ZASLAV
I've written a great deal about Warner Bros. Discovery and my feelings about the reign of CEO David Zaslav. So I was happy to see that the board of the company has apparently had enough:

On Tuesday, WBD disclosed that nearly 60% of its shareholders voted to reject the company’s 2024 executive compensation plan, delivering one of the largest say-on-pay rebukes in S&P 500 history. It was an unmistakable message—and it was aimed directly at the man who has come to symbolize the handsomely paid—and oh so out of touch—media executive class, comprised of the select few whose pay keeps climbing even as company value collapses around them.

David Zaslav pulled in $51.9 million last year, a 4.5% bump from the year prior. Meanwhile, WBD's stock has struggled mightily. Shares have declined 7% year to date. And, more importantly, since the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger in 2022, the company has shed roughly 60% of its value. But Zaslav’s pay has only gone in one direction—backed by a board that’s apparently more interested in debt targets than shareholder returns, public optics, or employee morale.

As Oliver Darcy notes in Status, Zaslav in particular seems to have no sense of the optics of some of his Hollywood glad-handing public behavior:

But there is more to running a company than just reducing debt. The company has repeatedly asked its employees to make sacrifices. But those asks ring hollow when the workforce sees astronomical executive compensation numbers and photos of their bosses mingling over Dom Pérignon and hors d'oeuvres at lavish events in the south of France.

It's important to note this shareholder vote is just a suggestion and not binding on the company's executives:

In a boilerplate and noncommittal statement, the directors simply said, "The Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors appreciates the views of all its shareholders and takes the results of the annual advisory vote on executive compensation seriously. The Compensation Committee of the Board looks forward to continuing its regular practice of engaging in constructive dialogue with our shareholders."

ODDS AND SODS
* This is my dream piece of scientific trivia: according to multiple stories, eating half a cup of ice cream a day can lead to a lowered risk of heart disease.

* The two-episode docuseries Call Her Alex premieres Tuesday, June 10th on Hulu. Here is a look at the trailer.

* If you have ever listened to the cable TV news channel streams on platforms such as SiriusXM, you've heard a LOT of commercials for companies touting "easy" emergency loans for small businesses. Not surprisingly, these offers include dangerously oppressive interest rates and many of the companies have ties to organized crime.

* Season five of Slow Horses will premiere Wednesday, September 24th on Apple TV+.

* The CW has picked up rights to broadcast the July 27th Savannah Bananas game at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia.

* Tubi has acquired the horror thriller Please Don't Feed The Children, which will premiere exclusively on the service on Friday, June 27th. The movie takes place in a not-so-distant future where "society contends with a pervasive virus that afflicts the entire adult population. After the deadly viral outbreak, a group of orphans flee in search of a new life, only to be taken hostage by a woman hiding a sinister secret." The horror thriller is written by Paul Bertino and marks the directorial debut of Destry Allyn Spielberg.

* The 2025 Gotham TV Awards were awarded on Monday. Here is a complete list of the winners.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

TUESDAY, JUNE 3RD:
Beyond Skinwalker Ranch Season Premiere (History)
Caught In The Act: Double Life Series Premiere (MTV)
Fatal Destination (Investigation Discovery)
Love Island USA Season Premiere (Peacock)
Next Gen NYC Series Premiere (Bravo)
Sara: Woman In The Shadows (Netflix)
United Gangs Of America (Vice)
The Secret Of Skinwalker Ranch Season Premiere (History)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4TH:
Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune Season Five Finale (ABC)
Criminal Code (Netflix)
Curry Inc: The Business Of Stephen Curry (CNBC)
Eva Lasting Season Three Premiere (Netflix)
Holmes Family Rescue Season Premiere (HGTV)
Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour Series Premiere (Bravo/E!)
Jeopardy! Masters Season Three Finale (ABC)
Mr. Loverman (BritBox)
Power Moves With Shaquille O'Neal Series Premiere (Netflix)
Stick Series Premiere (Apple TV+)

SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY!