What would they have been able to do? CPB mostly just funnels money to stations. They don't produce content.
They could have chosen which specific shows they would fund, they weren't required to give out no-strings-attached grants. They once hand-picked Tucker Carlson to host a new PBS show that they would fund.
OK, but now they're funding zero shows.
I understand, just answering your question about what they would have been able to do.
Put conditions on said funneled money?
"If you want CPB money, you'll have to make/broadcast a Trump PSA" seems totally within the realm of possibility.
Which might still happen if rural PBS stations now need to take sketchy sources of money
They could have chosen which specific shows they would fund, they weren't required to give out no-strings-attached grants. They once hand-picked Tucker Carlson to host a new PBS show that they would fund.
OK, but now they're funding zero shows.
I understand, just answering your question about what they would have been able to do.
Put conditions on said funneled money?
"If you want CPB money, you'll have to make/broadcast a Trump PSA" seems totally within the realm of possibility.
Which might still happen if rural PBS stations now need to take sketchy sources of money