**PBS Launches Legal Battle Against Trump's Funding Cuts**

PBS is taking a decisive stand against President Donald Trump's funding cuts by filing a lawsuit aimed at blocking these reductions. On Friday, PBS and a public television station in Minnesota brought the case to the U.S. District Court in Washington, accusing Trump of "blatant viewpoint discrimination," as reported by the New York Times.

The legal action follows Trump's May 1 executive order which slashed all federal funding for PBS and NPR, citing alleged "bias" in their reportage. In response, PBS's legal team argues the cuts infringe upon laws that prohibit the president from controlling or influencing the broadcaster’s content. Programs that could be affected include beloved children's shows like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Elmo's World, and Sesame Street, which has now shifted to Netflix.

Lawyers representing PBS contended that any efforts to defund the broadcaster fall under these protective laws. “The executive order makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech,” stated the complaint. This, they argued, constitutes "blatant viewpoint discrimination."

Financially, PBS relies heavily on federal support, with around 16 percent of its $373.4 million annual budget derived from grants provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This nonprofit organization, which allocates over $500 million each year to public media, gets its funding from Congress.

PBS's CEO, Paula Kerger, openly condemned Trump's order, labeling it "blatantly unlawful." PBS News shared a statement from a spokesman emphasizing the importance of taking legal action to protect public television's editorial independence and safeguarding the autonomy of PBS member stations.

Following in PBS's footsteps, NPR has also initiated its own lawsuit against Trump's executive order this week, highlighting the broadcaster's collective resistance to these significant funding cuts.