WGBY

News Summary:

On April 2, 2026, New England Public Media's (NEPM) president Matt Abramovitz called a federal judge’s ruling against former President Donald Trump’s attempt to cut public broadcasting funding a "First Amendment victory." Previously, on February 11, 2026, NEPM announced the discontinuation of its annual Hadley Asparagus Festival after a decade, citing financial challenges, rising costs, and a loss of $875,000 in federal funding, which represents approximately 10% of its annual operating budget. This announcement followed NEPM's filing of a lawsuit on January 15, 2026, against Laudable Productions LLC and its manager Kyle Homstead, alleging they took $39,203.17 intended for the media company related to the 2024 Asparagus Festival. Earlier, on November 20, 2025, radio host Monte Belmonte prepared for his 16th annual "Monte's March," a 43-mile shopping cart push from Springfield to Greenfield for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, a fundraiser that has raised over $4 million since its inception.