Renee Driessen and Randy Fuhrmann were eager to attend Montana Public Radio’s 60th birthday celebration at Blackfoot River Brewing Co. in Helena on Aug. 7. The Helena residents wanted to meet the people they heard on the radio every morning.

“We know that they’re under funding stress, so of course we wanted to give them a little extra support both financially and just personally,” Driessen said.

President Donald Trump’s July rescissions package created a roughly $350,000 shortfall for MTPR, about 11% of its annual operating budget. But in a recent summer pledge drive — held in response to the reduction — the station raised nearly $500,000.

In the weeks since national legislation carved a $2.8 million hole in Montana public media outlets’ budgets, organizations including MTPR have courte

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