Hughes Charitable Foundation donates $500K for Wyoming PBS endowment
JACKSON (WNE) — The Jackson-based Hughes Charitable Foundation donated $500,000 to help establish the Legacy of the West Endowment and ensure the Wyoming Public Broadcasting Service continues to thrive for generations.
The gift will be matched by a $500,000 commitment from the Wyoming PBS Foundation’s reserves, with a goal to raise an additional $500,000 from supporters, according to a press release sent out Wednesday.
Together, Wyoming PBS and the Hughes Charitable Foundation said this creates a powerful 2-to-1 matching opportunity, where every $1 donated by supporters before June 30, 2026, becomes $3 for the endowment.
Public radio and television stations are facing significant budget cuts after the U.S. Congress passed legislation last month that stripped close to $1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced at the start of August that it would begin winding down its operations and the majority of staff positions would come to an end on Sept. 30.
The Wyoming Congressional delegation voted to revoke funding for public media like NPR and PBS, citing what they describe as left-wing bias in reporting.
In the Equality State, outlets such as Wyoming Public Media, Wyoming PBS and KHOL now face the combined loss of nearly $2 million.
“PBS does not produce most of its own programming,” Wyoming PBS CEO Joanna Kail wrote. “Most content is created by local stations and independent producers. Much of it is educational, inspiring, and apolitical.
“But PBS’s unwillingness to confront growing concerns about ideological bias created a perception that it no longer served the public equally,” she wrote. “Viewers walked away, unsure if PBS was still for them.”
She said the Wyoming delegation voted for the cuts “after years of seeking accountability that never came.”
On Wednesday, Kail said Wyoming PBS was grateful for the Hughes Charitable Foundation’s commitment to its mission and belief in Wyoming PBS.
This story was published on August 21, 2025.