Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Save the Waves
A new compilation has been launched in response to proposed cuts that could silence public broadcasting in the US
Mike Horn aka Seawind of Battery © Christopher Bruno
On May 1, the US government issued a statement regarding their funding of the country’s two largest public broadcasters, PBS and NPR. The statement said that neither of the broadcasters present “a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens”, and as such, it instructed “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS.” These broadcasters provide non-commercial programming across the US, reaching almost 42 million people each week, with popular global music shows including PBS’ Global Village, NPR’s Alt.Latino show and NPR’s hugely popular Tiny Desk Concerts series,
Following the government’s call to cut funding, US musician Mike Horn, aka Seawind of Battery, launched a compilation, Save the Waves: People for Public Media, featuring artists such as Elkhorn, Bill MacKay and Joseph Allred, to raise money for PBS and raise awareness of the situation. Russ Slater Johnson spoke to Horn to find out more about the current state of affairs.
What was the genesis for the Save the Waves compilation?
To me, it all started with finding a way to fight back against the Trump administration. The sheer carelessness of their agenda and the pulling of support from essential organisations inspired me to raise awareness about how Congress is working to dismantle services so many of us have relied on since childhood. If federal funding is eliminated, stations like PBS will be forced to cut educational programming, public safety communications during natural disasters, professional development for teachers, music and cultural content, local journalism, and more. Some stations could even be forced off the air.
What’s your relationship to PBS? Can it be compared to the BBC in the UK?
That’s exactly right. PBS is very similar to the BBC in terms of the programming it provides. Everything from educational content to children’s shows, documentaries, news, and more. The Trump administration’s reasoning for pulling funding seems rooted in an effort to limit free speech and silence any programming that’s viewed as left-leaning. If it doesn’t fit their agenda, they don’t want to fund it. There appear to be several justifications they’ve offered, but it all seems to come down to ideological control.
How catastrophic are the implications of the cuts for artists and musicians?
These actions are fairly catastrophic, and it can’t be emphasised enough how much of an impact they’ll have on the arts. In May, the Trump administration began cancelling NEA [National Endowment for the Arts] grants. That includes everything from commissioned plays and opera residencies to nonprofit cinema, community film programmes and youth-led festivals. These are the kinds of projects that don’t just enrich communities but provide jobs and visibility for countless artists. Now, many organisations are scrambling to make up for the shortfalls.
What’s been the response from other musicians you know or follow? Are there similar campaigns happening?
As far as I can tell, there aren’t many other initiatives in the music community right now, and that’s part of why I felt it was necessary to start something. My hope is that it helps educate more people about what’s happening and ideally inspires other efforts, whether that’s performances, benefit compilations, or something else entirely.
What are your thoughts on boycotting venues based on ownership? Is a bipartisan venue network important?
I think in this day and age, boycotting venues or organisations that align with the wrong causes or politicians is necessary. At least in New York, and in the scene that Seawind of Battery is a part of, artists are really tuned into which venues support free speech and welcome all backgrounds and cultures to build community. So yes, a bipartisan network of venues sounds nice in theory, but I would go further and say we should prioritise those that lean left. Because in the US right now, being on the left means standing up for basic human rights, freedom of expression, and equality for everyone.
Are you hopeful PBS will survive and that the situation might improve?
I do have hope. PBS means a lot to people who grew up with it, who believe in its mission, and for parents like me with young kids who want to rely on its educational programming. There’s a strong emotional connection to PBS, and I think that will drive people to support it even without government funding. Of course, with the way this administration is operating, it’s impossible to predict how things will end up. But I’ve already seen encouraging support for Save the Waves, and it’s been amazing to see how much people care, how willing they are to help, and how far the message has spread. That kind of grassroots energy gives me a lot of hope.
