WOJB Finds Its Footing After Federal Cuts, Eyes Stability Through 2027

By Joe Morey

News Editor

At the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) General Membership meeting on October 18, WOJB General Manager Karl Habeck outlined how the station absorbed this year’s unprecedented public-media cuts, and why there’s a path forward.

“WOJB did receive unfortunate news in July of 2025 when the current administration chose to defund public media and claw back previous funding approved by Congress. That move cost the station over 40% of its operating budget,” Habeck reported. “However, since then the station has been able to persevere through our own efforts and through unsolicited donations.” He added that a “major turning point” came when the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) moved to support Native-operated stations.

What happened in Washington—and why it hit WOJB so hard

In July, Congress approved a rescissions package that eliminated roughly $1.1 billion in previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the backbone of federal support for local public media. CPB began winding down soon after, raising existential concerns for rural and Tribal stations nationwide.

The cut translated into a 40–41% hole for WOJB’s budget, consistent with estimates reported across Wisconsin and in national coverage of the LCO-based station.

Amid CPB’s collapse, the Interior Department and BIA identified roughly $9–10 million to help Tribal and Native-serving stations bridge the gap while a longer-term grant program is set up. Lawmakers publicly referenced the reallocation, and Alaska and Tribal outlets reported the stopgap funds as temporary relief as Interior accelerates a formal grants timeline into late 2025 or early 2026.

“WOJB wishes to acknowledge the BIA, individual donors, and groups like The Greater Milwaukee Foundation for their efforts in keeping Native media available to all,” Habeck said.

Where WOJB stands today

“With additional anticipated revenue and no adverse changes, WOJB will remain solvent for at least two years and can begin to think about allocating new funds for 2028,” Habeck told members. “Hopefully at that time we will have more government officials in office that recognize the importance of public media, thereby offering an opportunity for reinstatement of previously approved funding.”

Habeck also noted that the recent federal shutdown had little, if any, effect on WOJB. “The station continues to have contact with the BIA regarding upcoming BIA funding, and our periodic contact with the IRS remains active. The station currently has no documents that need to be submitted to the FCC, and with the closing of CPB there is no reason for any other U.S. government entity to contact us.”

WOJB’s situation mirrors a national pattern: with CPB funding stripped, local stations face layoffs, programming cuts, and in some cases closure, changes that disproportionately threaten rural and Tribal communities that depend on over-the-air service for news, culture, and emergency alerts.

Despite that backdrop, Habeck emphasized that community gifts and regional philanthropy have kept WOJB on the air while federal Tribal support ramps up. Coverage from PBS Wisconsin and other outlets has spotlighted WOJB as a case study in how Indigenous stations are fighting to sustain service post-CPB.