Last July, despite widespread public opposition, Congress voted to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributed the vast majority of federal funding to local public radio and television stations. CPB has since dissolved, eliminating the primary source of federal funding for local stations and key support for Interconnection, copyright negotiations and payments, business development and other shared station services.

Local stations continue to serve their communities with resolve, but the loss of federal funding is already eroding local service. Stations have cut local programs, canceled educational outreach to families, laid off staff, and in some cases, have terminated over-the-air service. These developments indicate a growing risk that, without restored federal funding, public media stations will become less local, less accessible, and in some communities, they’ll cease to exist.

Cutting Local Programming, Outreach and Staff

For decades, federal support helped local stations provide a public service shaped by community needs. With CPB funding eliminated, stations of all sizes have been forced to curb local programs and services, educational outreach, and staff capacity that make stations’ local connection possible.

These cuts are eviscerating the local identity of public media stations. Long-running public affairs programs have been cancelled. Coverage that captured the essence of local life – community events, crop reports, and reporting on local government are disappearing. Local partnerships that brought public media’s free, proven-effective educational resources into classrooms and community institutions have been paused.

The loss of local staff is tied to local service reductions. According to Semipublic, a data-informed overview of America’s public media system, nearly 600 total local jobs have been lost since July 18, 2025. The scale of staff reductions varies by station, with some reporting cuts of more than 50%. Some stations are down to single-digit staff. A few newsrooms have been reduced to a single reporter covering vast rural regions vulnerable to natural disasters. These skeletal crews continue to show up for their communities every day, despite being overwhelmed with the challenges of maintaining robust community coverage and engagement without federal support.

Delaying Infrastructure Repairs and Equipment Replacement

Federal funding helped stations maintain the broadcast infrastructure needed to reliably reach their communities, especially in rural areas where distance and terrain make local service more costly to provide. A 2017 CPB study identified more than $300 million in overdue infrastructure projects across the public media system. With CPB funding eliminated, stations are delaying equipment replacement, maintenance and repairs, worsening an already significant backlog and increasing the risk of service interruptions.

Turning Off Over-the-Air Service

In at least one rural region, the loss of federal funding has contributed to the end of over-the-air service. While the station remains available online, streaming cannot fully replace broadcast in communities that lack reliable broadband. During emergencies, when internet and cell service may be disrupted, over-the-air signals are the most reliable way to deliver emergency alerts and warnings to the public.

Stations are at Risk of Going Off-Air

One public media station ended its operations in December 2025, and efforts are underway to prevent two additional stations from closing.

Across the country, stations are fighting to keep serving their communities, but dozens warn they may not survive if federal funding is not restored. Stations serving rural and Tribal communities face the greatest risk of closure. Reaching these communities is more expensive, and with smaller populations, there simply aren’t enough local resources or fundraising opportunities to keep stations operating without federal support. If these stations go off air, their communities may never get them back.

Conclusion

These trends signal a deepening crisis with devastating consequences for American communities. Without restored federal funding, stations will be forced to abandon the programs and outreach services their communities rely on and dozens will cease operations entirely. Our country’s most vulnerable communities – often rural and underserved by other media sources – will lose access to local media altogether, severing their lifeline to local information, emergency alerts and warnings, and educational support.

Protect My Public Media Day, which takes place on June 4, is a critical moment to rise in support of public media stations and the federal funding that sustains their local service. As lawmakers begin making federal funding decisions, they must hear that Americans value and depend on their local stations. To take part, send a message or place calls urging your lawmakers to restore federal funding for local public media stations.