National Public Radio on Tuesday issued a statement on the decision by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to vote itself out of existence, saying that while CPB’s end “marks the close of a defining chapter in American public media,” it doesn’t mark the conclusion of NPR’s mission.

Here is NPR’s statement, in full:

“For nearly 60 years, CPB has been a cornerstone of public broadcasting in the United States. Over its history, CPB has been a source of vital funding for local stations and a champion of music and educational programming — helping make independent journalism and essential community programming possible in this country. We are deeply grateful to CPB and its staff for their decades of service to the American people.

“While the structures that surround us may change, the need for public media has never been greater, and our commitment to serving the public with free, reliable, and independent journalism is unwavering. NPR, local stations, and national organizations who believe in a free and independent press, supported by audiences in every corner of the nation, will continue to provide rigorous, trustworthy reporting. We will continue this work with resolve and creativity, powered by the public trust that has sustained us this far.”

CPB’s dissolution follows a decision by Congress last summer to rescind federal funding of public radio and television. CPB said the decision, which followed decades of conservative efforts to erode federal funding, came only after those efforts succeeded to the point that CPB could no longer operate.

“What has happened to public media is devastating,” Ruby Calvert, Chair of CPB’s board, said in a news release. “After nearly six decades of innovative, educational public television and radio service, Congress eliminated all funding for CPB, leaving the board with no way to continue the organization or support the public media system that depends on it.”

Congress voted in July to rescind $1.1 billion in previously approved funding. In the months since, most of CPB’s staff exited at the end of September and the organization has been racing to distribute its remaining grant money to broadcasters. On the local level, many stations have been laying off staff and cutting expenses as they face a hole in their budgets.

Despite an uncertain future, Calvert expressed optimism about the long-term future for public radio and TV. “Even in this moment, I am convinced that public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media’s role in our country because it is critical to our children’s education, our history, culture and democracy to do so,” she said.

Responses to the CPB’s end were predictably aligned with political party affiliation. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) characterized the disintegration as an authoritarian effort by President Trump to stifle dissent, threaten journalists and undermine free speech.

“[The] decision to dissolve the Corporation for Public Broadcasting marks a grave loss for the American public,” he said in a news release. “For generations, CPB helped ensure access to trusted news, quality children’s programming, local storytelling, and vital emergency information for millions of people in Massachusetts and across the country. CPB nurtured and developed our public broadcasting system, which is truly the crown jewel of America’s media mix. The dissolution of CPB is a direct result of Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican allies’ reckless crusade to destroy public broadcasting and control what Americans read, hear, and see.”