Warm Springs radio station loses key funding under Trump-era cuts

Published 10:33 am Friday, July 25, 2025

Tribal station KWSO faces program reductions after losing 40% of its funding

The community radio station that serves the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is losing its federal funding due to budget cuts approved by Congress and the Trump administration. The station will continue to operate but is planning to reduce some of its current content.

KWSO Warm Springs Radio (91.9FM) usually receives around $600,000 annually in federal grants for its programming and staffing needs. This amount accounts for around 40% of the station’s operating budget. Those funds won’t be available next year due to the budget cuts.

Congress approved plans by the Trump administration to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds. Most of the funding was for foreign aid but $1.1 billion was earmarked for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS and member stations. KWSO is one of hundreds of member stations across the country impacted by the cuts. Trump signed the bill into law on Thursday.

Republicans say the bill was part of an effort to eliminate wasteful spending, fraud and abuse in the federal government, and to root out “woke” spending that pushes liberal agendas.

The vote was largely along party lines, with just two Republicans voting against the cuts. One of those who supported the cuts was Cliff Bentz, the congressman who represents most of Eastern Oregon.

Essential news

The station has become an essential source of news for many Warm Springs residents. In addition to local news there is also critical information on wildfires, snowstorms, road closures and other situations that impact people’s daily lives.

“People have really come to rely on us to be there so I’d like to maintain our staff,” said Sue Matters, the station manager for KWSO.

KWSO Station Manager, Sue Matters, right, talks with Jazmine Ike-Lopez in her office at the KWSO radio station in Warm Springs on Thursday. (Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin)

The station also covers cultural events for the community and provides daily language lessons. Powwow music is a regular feature along with public service announcements. The reporting staff are tribal members and know the issues that are important to listeners.

“The programming philosophy is, If we can get people to listen for 15 minutes we want them to learn something,” said Matters. “We don’t sound casual, we are pretty purposeful in the way we arrange our music and our messages.”

Questions for Bentz

Matters said she contacted Bentz to express her view that the funds should continue to flow to Warm Springs radio. The response from Bentz’ office was that Oregon Public Broadcasting content, over the past five years, had been researched and was determined to be “left-leaning,” Matters told The Bulletin.

“Clearly my input wasn’t even considered,” said Matters. “We are not an OPB station. That is not us. Clearly (Bentz) has never listened to us and that is unfortunate.”

Matters believes Bentz didn’t understand the implications of the vote and the “domino-effect” it would have on smaller radio stations that also get funding from the same source as NPR.

“I kind of feel like: shame on him. He represents a rural place. There’s not that many CPB-funded stations in his district anyway,” said Matters. “I’m sorry he doesn’t like OPB but that doesn’t help me any. And so it was not surprising but it’s always disappointing when the political system doesn’t serve constituents.”

Bentz did not respond to questions from The Bulletin about the station’s loss of funding.

Continued operations

Matters expects the radio station — on the air since 1986 and now also streaming online — will continue to operate even after the funding is cut. But some programs could be dropped if new funding is not found.

The budget cuts could also cost two full-time positions at the station. KWSO has a staff of six.

“We never like to have to think about eliminating anything. We’re more looking forward to growing even more, so that is the sad part of the story,” Matters said.

Funding cuts won’t automatically eliminate jobs at the station. Matters says a fundraising campaign will commence to fill the upcoming budget gap.

Matters said she will approach the tribes with a request to increase their funding, which currently stands at 40% of the station’s budget. Collaboration with the Warm Springs newspaper, Spilyay Tymoo, is also possible she said. There are also plans to ramp up the station’s membership drive.

“We’ll make do with what we can come up with. And then next steps will be, how do we get back to where we were,” said Matters.

KWSO multimedia journalists, from left, Riyah Stacona, Kiandra Smith and Will “Wilman” Robbins host a table at the KWSO Warm Springs Thursday Market in Warm Springs. (Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin)

Possible cuts

The first programs to go onto the chopping block, if the station can’t fill its budget gap, will be national programming, most of which is produced by NPR. The station also expects to lose Native America Calling, an hour-long show with Native American news.

“People are wired to tune into those programs here. People like to hear information from other places, especially Indian Country,” said Matters.

Matters says the station is now accepting sustaining memberships and donations through its website. Since the funding was cut last week there has already been an uptick in donations, mostly from Portland area residents.

“If people are willing to pitch in and help out, that is part of the strategy moving forward. Every little bit is going to count and we appreciate it,” she said.