On October 23, 2024, 106 public media stations across 48 states raised their voices for Public Radio Music Day – an annual celebration showcasing the importance of noncommercial music and the stations that bring unique, diverse music to Americans nationwide.

Since its start five years ago, Public Radio Music Day has rallied public radio music stations, lawmakers, fans, artists, and other members of the music industry to celebrate and spread the word about the special role noncommercial stations play in the local and national music ecosystem.

This year’s theme, “Bringing People Together: From Coast to Coast,” underscored how public radio music bridges divides, unites communities around a shared love of music and local artists, and reaches across the country to serve urban and rural communities alike. In its largest celebration to date, stations held live performances, debuted special programming and musical experiences, and connected with audiences on social media as part of a day-long effort to raise awareness about the importance of noncommercial music and the need to protect federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that makes this music discovery and preservation possible.

Congress recognized Public Radio Music Day through bipartisan, bicameral resolutions: S. Res. 865, sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Chris Coons (D-DE), and H. Res. 1491, sponsored by Representatives Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

Why are public media’s noncommercial music stations important?

Local, noncommercial, and not-for-profit public media stations are an essential and indispensable force for sustaining music accessibility, supporting the performing arts, developing artists and audiences, and educating and enriching our communities. Hundreds of local public media stations provide essential platforms for music discovery and cultural preservation, serving nearly 24 million listeners weekly with expertly curated, diverse programming – on-air, online, on video, on stage, and on-the-go.

Serving as cultural hubs, these stations offer a place for listeners to unite around the shared joy of music and bolster local music economies. Unlike algorithm-driven platforms, respected local DJs curate music that resonates deeply with their communities, while fostering the discovery of new and underappreciated artists. Public media uniquely provides access to genres that often may only be heard on public radio, from classical to jazz to bluegrass, rock, urban alternative, and other regional and eclectic sounds collectively known as Triple A. Almost all (96%) of classical radio in the United States comes from public radio stations and reaches about eight million weekly listeners. Jazz, a distinctively American music genre, thrives on local stations through televised concerts, broadcasts, and streaming. Without public media stations, these genres would not survive in the commercial marketplace.

Federal support is essential for sustaining the public-private partnership that is the bedrock of the public media system. CPB provides community service grants to local stations, negotiates music rights for the entire public media system, and covers music licensing fees with its federal appropriation — keeping costs lower for local stations. This helps maintain free and accessible noncommercial music programming for Americans nationwide, including music featured in children’s educational content, music discovery experiences, and local events that unite communities through a shared love of music.

Federal funding for public media, only about $1.60 per person each year, makes so much possible — it fuels vital news, information, research-based educational content for children, and emergency alerting that keeps us safe. But it also enriches our lives, through music and cultural experiences that bring us and communities around the country together.

Featured image: Stations across the country participate in Public Radio Music Day. Photo credit (Clockwise, from top left): West Virginia Public Broadcasting, WJAB, David LaMason, Sydney Akagi, Interlochen Public Radio, Radio Milwaukee.