PBS Caves To Trump, Ousts DEI Staffers

PBS has shut down its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office and removed its DEI staffers in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump, the public broadcaster confirmed Monday evening.

The move comes as Trump’s administration begins enforcing policies aimed at eliminating taxpayer-funded initiatives that promote race-based hiring, training, and other diversity programs. PBS receives federal funding.

“In order to best ensure we are in compliance with the President’s executive order around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion we have closed our DEI office,” PBS said in a statement. “The staff members who served in that office are leaving PBS. We will continue to adhere to our mission and values. PBS will continue to reflect all of America and remain a welcoming place for everyone.”

Trump’s agenda, which aims to eliminate race-focused hiring practices in government-funded organizations, is part of a broader effort to roll back DEI policies that the administration sees as divisive and discriminatory.

In January, President Trump issued executive orders to dismantle DEI programs within federal agencies, reinforcing merit-based employment practices. The move has influenced several major corporations to reassess and often reduce their DEI initiatives.

For instance, Google abandoned its diversity hiring goals, citing recent court decisions and federal directives. Similarly, Meta, Amazon, McDonald’s, and Walmart have scaled back their DEI programs, responding to political pressures and legal challenges.

Founded in 1969, PBS operates as a private, non-commercial organization funded through government grants, corporate sponsors, and viewer donations. Unlike commercial networks, it does not rely on traditional advertising.

Earlier this month, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr launched a probe into NPR and PBS to assess whether their underwriting announcements might breach federal rules that bar public broadcasters from transmitting commercials. The inquiry is part of a larger push by the Trump administration to examine and possibly curtail public media funding, underscoring a reevaluation of the funding and role of public media in the United States.

“I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials,” Carr wrote in a report earlier this month. “In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.”

FCC regulations allow businesses to support noncommercial radio and television stations — such as NPR or PBS — through on-air announcements known as underwriting sponsorships. While such sponsorships have similarities to commercial advertising, they come with additional FCC regulations that do not apply to regular radio or television ads.

“To the extent that these taxpayer dollars are being used to support a for-profit endeavor or an entity that is airing commercial advertisements, then that would further undermine any case for continuing to fund NPR and PBS with taxpayer dollars,” the letter continued.

Carr sent letters to NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger. Carr has been a member of the FCC since 2017 and was most recently tapped by President Trump to lead the commission during his second term in the White House.