SAND POINT, Alaska July 16, 2025 – A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake jolted the Alaska Peninsula sending shockwaves through the region and prompting a brief tsunami warning. The quake, centered 55 miles south of Sand Point, triggered a swift response from local authorities, with the National Weather Service issuing an advisory that was later canceled after no significant inundation occurred. Local residents and summer visitors owe their safety to timely evacuations, facilitated by emergency alerts broadcast through public media stations such as KMXT in Kodiak, KUCB in Unalaska, and KSDP in Sand Point.
The incident has thrust Alaska’s public broadcasting network into the spotlight, as U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) took to X to highlight the critical role these stations played in disseminating life-saving information. “That’s the real world,” Murkowski posted late Tuesday, referencing the earthquake response. However, she warned of a looming threat in Washington, D.C., where the Senate is currently debating the Rescissions Act of 2025. The proposed legislation aims to slash $1.1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports Alaska’s 27 public media stations and hundreds more nationwide.
Murkowski argued that the cuts, championed by some colleagues as a strike against “radical leftist organizations,” would undermine essential services in rural Alaska. “These are simply organizations dedicated to their communities,” she wrote, praising the stations’ role in delivering local news, weather updates, and emergency alerts. The senator’s plea comes amid a procedural vote in the Senate to advance the rescissions package, a move that has sparked heated debate.
The earthquake’s timing has intensified the controversy. A similar 7.2 magnitude quake struck the same region in July 2023, also triggering a brief tsunami warning that was ultimately downgraded. That event, like this week’s, underscored the reliance on public broadcasting for remote communities where modern alternatives like cell phones and Starlink may not always suffice. Critics of the funding cuts, including Murkowski, warn that slashing CPB support could leave Alaska’s villages vulnerable during future disasters.
Opposition to the senator’s stance has emerged on X, with users like @beau_maxim claiming they found no emergency broadcasts on PBS during the quake, and @gruntpa240 asserting that advanced warning systems render public stations obsolete. Others, such as @dogeai_gov, support Murkowski, urging lawmakers to prioritize community impact over partisan rhetoric.
As the Senate deliberates, the question remains: Will the real-time heroics of Alaska’s public broadcasters sway the vote, or will budget cuts prevail? For now, the tsunami warning may be lifted, but the political aftershocks continue to reverberate.