New Delhi, Jan. 6 -- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the congressionally created body that has financed public radio and television in the United States for almost 60 years, has voted to dissolve after lawmakers withdrew its federal funding. The decision marks a profound turning point for the country's public media system, leaving hundreds of local stations to confront an uncertain future without their principal source of government support.

In a statement issued on Monday, CPB confirmed that its board of directors had formally approved the organisation's closure, bringing to a close an institution founded in the late 1960s to ensure universal access to educational, cultural and civic programming.

The vote codified plans ...