The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has shuttered its weekend newscast as part of broader operational cutbacks triggered by federal funding cuts to public media, the network confirmed this week.
The move ends “PBS News Weekend,” which aired its final broadcast Jan. 11 after more than a decade on the air. PBS informed viewers Jan. 9 that the decision stemmed from federal budget reductions.
The shutdown comes months after Congress’ July 2025 vote to rescind $1.1 billion in public broadcasting funds previously designated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports both PBS and National Public Radio (NPR). As CatholicVote previously reported, the bill became law July 24. CPB, established in 1967, had distributed over $500 million annually to PBS, NPR, and more than 1,500 local stations.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized public media over what he describes as left-leaning bias. CatholicVote in April endorsed ending taxpayer funding for PBS and NPR, arguing the networks should rely on private support rather than tax dollars.
In place of the weekend newscast, PBS plans to roll out weekly single-topic programs airing Saturdays and Sundays. “Horizons,” a science and technology program, is set to debut Jan. 17, followed by “Compass Points,” a foreign affairs program, on Jan. 18, AP News reported.
According to AP News, “PBS News Weekend” averaged about 827,000 viewers per episode — roughly 1 million fewer than the average weekday audience for “PBS NewsHour.” Launched in 2013 in New York and later relocated to Washington in 2022, the weekend program provided national breaking news coverage on Saturdays and Sundays.
Weekend anchor John Yang, who is set to leave PBS at the end of January, told viewers during the final broadcast that the program was signing off “at least for the foreseeable future.”
The cuts extend beyond weekend programming. PBS has also closed its Arizona bureau, which enabled “NewsHour” to produce West Coast-timed broadcasts, according to AP News. Network officials have not announced additional immediate shutdowns but indicated they continue to evaluate operations.
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