>> Cathy: WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT YET BUT FEDERAL MONEY IS PART OF THE MONEY BEING CLAWED BACK.

WE ARE GOING TO SPEND THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES TALKING ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR LOCAL PUBLIC MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE HEAD OF TWIN CITIES PBS.

A QUICK NOTE BEFORE WE DIVE INTO OUR CONVERSATION.

ALMANAC IS A PART OF THE NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS WORK THAT IS DONE HERE AT TWIN CITIES PUBLIC TELEVISION.

THE DECISIONS AND COVERAGE BY THE TEAM THAT CREATES THIS PROGRAMMING ARE INDEPENDEN FROM EXECUTIVES HERE IN HE STATION.

QUESTIONS WERE NOT SHARED AHEAD OF TIME OR PLANNED WITH ANYONE OTHER THAN THE SHOW'S PRODUCERS.

AND HOSTS.

SYLVIA STROBEL IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TWIN CITIES PBS I WISH IT WAS UNDER BETTER CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU'RE HERE.

>> ME TOO.

>> Cathy: SO I'M WONDERING.

WE MARSHALED OUR FORCES.

PEOPLE RESPONDED TO CALLS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC MEDIA, YET THE ARGUMENT FAILED TO SUPPORT PUBLIC MEDIAL.

WHY DID THAT HAPPEN?

>> WELL, FIRST, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE, OUR VIEWERS AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WHO STEPPED FORWARD TO ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WE KNOW THERE WERE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PHONE CALLS AND E-MAILS AND OUTREACH TO ELECTED OFFICIALS AND WE KNOW HERE LOCALLY WE'VE HAD INCREDIBLE SUPPORT AS WELL AS A LOT OF FOLKS STEPPING UP TO HELP US FINANCIALLY AND THAT MEANS A LOT.

I THINK WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT MY FIRST TIME AT THIS RODEO, I WISH IT WAS.

I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS AWHILE, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THREATS TO PUBLIC MEDIA.

BUT WE KNEW SOMETIME AGO THAT THIS WAS A VERY DIFFERENT THREAT.

THIS WAS NOT LIKE ANYTHING WE'D EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.

I THINK WE MARSHALED OUR FORCES, WE'VE LOST THIS BATTLE BUT WE HAVEN'T LOST THE WAR.

WE STILL HAVE A FIGHT AHEAD OF US YET.

>> Cathy: WHAT DID NOT LAND, THOUGH, WITH LAWMAKERS?

WHY DID THE ARGUMENTS NOT LAND WITH THEM?

>> YOU KNOW, WE KNOW FROM TALKING WITH OUR MINNESOTA DELEGATION THAT THEY GREATLY RESPECT AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE IN MINNESOTA.

THEY RESPECT THE LOCAL STATIONS.

I THINK WE ARE PART OF A BIGGER POLITICAL BATTLE THAT'S GOING ON WITH RESPECT TO PERCEIVED BIAS IN THE MEDIA, RIGHT OR WRONG, RATHER THAN HAVING AN ACTUAL FRANK CONVERSATION, A DIALOGUE, WE'RE JUST PART OF A POLITICAL BATTLE RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: HOW ABOUT POPULAR SHOWS THAT OLKS WATCH ON TPT, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, MASTER PIECE THEATER, NOVA, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THOSE, FOR INSTANCE?

>> WELL, WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS NATIONALLY TO IDENTIFY HOW WE'RE GOING TO FUND SOME OF THESE NATIONAL SHOWS, MANY OF WHICH ARE FUNDED BY DUES THAT WE AS STATIONS PAY TO PBS AND THOSE DUES ARE OFTEN HELP COVERED BY CPB'S FUNDS.

YOU KNOW, LOCALLY WE RECEIVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM THE LEGACY FUND.

WE'RE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO STATE LEGISLATORS FOR GIVING THAT TO US.

SO THAT'S GOING TO HELP US CONTINUE TO PRODUCE OUR LOCAL PROGRAMS.

>> Eric: THE CLICHÉ IS DON'T WASTE A GOOD CRISIS AND I WONDER IF THIS STIRS UP ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS, MORE STREAMING, MORE WEBSITE STUFF, DESTINATION TV IS KIND OF ON THE WAY OUT IN GENERAL.

HOW ABOUT THAT ASPECT OF IT?

>> I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PEERS AROUND THE STATE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY ON NEW WAYS THAT WE CAN SERVE OUR AUDIENCES, DIFFERENT STREAMING SERVICES, DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER EVEN WITH OUR FRIENDS OVER AT MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO ON NEW POTENTIAL COPRODUCTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BETTER SERVING THE STATE KNOWING WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE FEWER RESOURCES MOVING FORWARD.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED OUR -FRIENDS IN GREATER MINNESOTA.

THERE ARE SIX STATIONS IN THE MPTV ASSOCIATION GROUP.

EACH IS PRETTY INDEPENDENT AS YOU KNOW.

>> >> YES, THEY ARE.

>> Cathy: WHICH IS GOOD.

MIGHT THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO POOL RESOURCES?

SAY BACK-OFFICE TYPE RESOURCES?

>> WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS, EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN SUPPORT OUR COLLEAGUES IN GREATER MINNESOTA WHO MAY NOT HAVE AS MANY RESOURCES TO PULL FROM AS WE DO.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL MINNESOTANS CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC TELEVISION.

>> Cathy: DO YOU SEE CONSOLIDATION OR CLOSURES IN THE OFFING?

>> I DO NOT SEE THAT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

I THINK WE CAN JUST BE SMARTER AND WORK TOGETHER MORE.

>> Eric: THERE IS A BUDGET PROCESS THAT HAPPENS LATER IN THE YEAR NOW FOR THE 2026 FEDERAL UDGET AND I WONDER, LOBBYIST OR ANYBODY SAYING SOME OF THIS MIGHT BE RESTORED IN THAT BUDGET PROCESS?

>> WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE WERE SOME DEALS BEING TALKED ABOUT BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE CAPITOL DURING THIS RESCISSION PROCESS.

AND WE KNOW FROM OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., OUR ADVOCATES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THAT THAT IS A VERY REAL PROSPECT FOR US.

>> Cathy: I THINK THAT YOU ARE FACING -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, SILVIA, ARE YOU LOOKING AT A 10% BUDGET CUT FROM ALL OF THIS?

>> 10% FROM THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, YES.

WE ALSO HAD OUR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ED GRANT FOR OUR KIDS SHOW TERMINATED IN MAY.

>> Cathy: RIGHT, LAYOFFS THERE, POINT-BLANK, EVERYONE, WE'RE LOOKING AT MPR TOO IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING.

DO YOU FORESEE ANY STAFFING CHANGES?

>> WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST PLAN THAT WE'VE HAD IN PROCESS FOR SOME TIME AS WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING WE CAN POSSIBLY DO TO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE OUR LOCAL PROGRAMMING, PRESERVE OUR LOCAL SERVICE.

EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ON THE TABLE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL HERE AND WE'RE STILL DOING GOOD WORK TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

>> Cathy: DO YOU THINK THAT IN THE FUTURE, AND ERIC KIND OF BROUGHT THIS UP IN TERMS OF NEVER WASTING A GOOD CRISIS, MIGHT THIS BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY EXPAND LOCAL-REGIONAL CONTENT?

>> I HINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO LOOK AT IT.

AND THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING.

WE KNOW IT RESONATES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE DO A LOT OF GREAT WORK IN MINNESOTA IN THAT REGARD TOO, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY DO MORE.

>> Cathy: BEFORE YOU GO, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME EOPLE OUT THERE THINKING, OKAY, WELL, CAN I STILL DO SOMETHING TO HELP?

>> YES.

CONTINUE CONTACTING YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

YOU CAN'T CONTACT THEM TOO MUCH, TELL THEM HOW IMPORTANT PUBLIC MEDIA IS TO YOU AND TO MINNESOTA.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR