After federal funding cuts, tribal radio station says silence is not an option

Tami Graham, executive director of KSUT Public Radio, says the last year has been "the most unreal roller coaster ride," as the station lost crucial federal funding followed by record-breaking donations.
Frank Langfitt/NPR

READ:  https://www.npr.org/2025/12/02/nx-s1-5571009/how-one-tribal-radio-station-is-fighting-to-survive-following-federal-funding-cuts 

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Cuts to Tribal Radio Stations could spell disaster (UPDATE)

NEW: 7/18/25

South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds announced Tuesday he's secured an agreement with White House budget director Russ Vought to move $9.4 million from an account within the Interior Department to at least two dozen Native American radio stations in multiple states.

Those include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to Rounds' office.

LINK: https://www.kunc.org/news/2025-07-17/native-american-radio-stations-part-of-funding-deal-as-us-senate-takes-up-cuts-to-npr-pbs 

Editor's NOTE:  As you know, many tribe's living conditions in the US are not great, not prosperous, unless some casino monies trickle down and reach the rez, and they've made structural improvements.  Poverty is all too common and rampant for too many tribal nations.

TRIBAL RADIO AM and FM has been a lifeline, like KILI radio in Porcupine, South Dakota - my relative Ellowyn Locke (Oglala Lakota) listened to them every single day.  https://www.kiliradio.live/

In South Dakota, KILI of Porcupine, KDKO of Lake Andes and KLND of McLaughlin all stand to lose around $200,000 in Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) grants.  This would spell disaster.

MORE:

Tribal public broadcasting under threat by CPB rescission

SDPB | By Lee Strubinger  June 12, 2025 

KOYA logo

The United States Congress is considering a rescission request from the Trump administration to pull funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The maneuver would negatively affect SDPB—as well as the four public tribal radio stations in South Dakota.

The station KOYA stands to lose about $200,000 if Congress ultimately approves the rescission.

John Miller is manager for the station in Rosebud.  He said the funding reduction would be very detrimental to the people of his community.

“Because, we serve a purpose of keeping them up to date and passing along emergency information—passing along pertinent information that helps them in every way and every day," Miller said.  The Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding that we do receive is very beneficial in keeping the station on the air.  It wouldn’t be a good outcome for us.”

KILI of Porcupine, KDKO of Lake Andes and KLND of McLaughlin all stand to lose around $200,000 in CPB grants.

South Dakota’s lone representative in the U.S. House, Republican Dusty Johnson, voted in favor of rescinding the money. 

The question now heads to the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds said he does not want to see funding cut for radio stations in rural areas that rely on public broadcasting—particularly on reservations.

“Let’s not cut the stuff where we really do need to be able to help some folks that are in some rural areas, and on the reservations, where they simply don’t have other resources available to keep those radios in operation,” Rounds said.

Rounds said his rescission decision will be based on whether the package can be amended to allow for funding to continue to reach rural radio stations.

The CPB rescission would also affect SDPB to the tune of $2.2 million. Earlier this year, SDPB received full funding from the supermajority Republican controlled state legislature, after former Gov. Kristi Noem suggested slashing the statewide network’s state funding by 65 percent.

 

MORE: 

Minnesota’s Tribal Radio Stations at Risk of Losing CPB Funding

Northeastern Minnesota’s White Earth Reservation is home to “Niijii Radio” KKWE (88.9), one of the state’s four tribal radio stations which serve their local communities with news and information, along with traditional music.

These stations are now in danger of losing much-needed federal funding, as President Trump’s executive order to “ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage” threatens to take away Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants that keep stations like KKWE on the air.

“[CPB] probably covers about 45% of our costs,” KKWE Station Manager Maggie Rousu, part of the station’s small staff, tells MPR. “CPB funding pays one full-time staff. It also covers our emergency broadcast system [and] some of our programming.”

Although the executive order focuses on pulling money from NPR and PBS, Rousu points out that it trickles down to smaller stations such as KKWE.

While most larger public radio stations can survive on corporate and listener donations, that’s not the case for “Niijii Radio,” where listeners aren’t able to provide enough funds to keep the station running. “We do have some contributors that are contributing $1 a month,” Rousu says, meaning if CPB funds are cut, “we could lose some local production.” 

 

KILI is Under Attack!

KILI Needs Your Help

Trump is attempting to remove the board of directors and cancel funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides significant funding to our station. Please donate now to help us recover the necessary funding to keep our station on-air and operating!

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 I have been to this station. It is awesome! ... Trace