WisconsinEye fights to survive as funding deadline looms by December 15
WisconsinEye, the streaming service covering the state Legislature, faces an uncertain future. The platform may halt live event coverage and remove its archives by 15 December due to financial struggles. Lawmakers have now approved $10 million in matching funds to support its long-term survival.
The service currently operates on a $1.1 million annual budget, managed by a team of six employees. To stay open, WisconsinEye needs $300,000 to cover costs until the end of March. A further $887,000 is required to fund operations for the entire year of 2026.
President Jon Henkes has called on legislative leaders to redirect the newly approved $10 million toward immediate operating expenses. He argues that the matching funds, originally intended for an endowment, could help stabilize the platform now. Fundraising for the endowment has been paused while the team focuses on securing short-term survival.
Henkes also believes public awareness of WisconsinEye’s financial troubles may encourage private donors to contribute. Without urgent action, the service risks shutting down its live coverage and taking its archives offline next month.
The $10 million in matching funds offers a potential lifeline, but its use remains under discussion. WisconsinEye must secure additional money soon to avoid interrupting its legislative coverage. The platform’s future depends on how quickly leaders and donors respond to its financial needs.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
