Every year, we ask Congress for full public media funding. The funding supports specific programs that enable your local public radio and television stations to deliver high-quality noncommercial programs and services that you can’t find elsewhere.

  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

    Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) primary role is to receive and distribute federal funding to local public radio and television stations. The federal seed funding that local stations receive from CPB is essential to station operations and helps them secure private financial support. On average, stations raise $6 for every federal dollar, resulting in a highly effective public-private partnership. Studies show that there is no replacement for federal funding.
    Learn more about CPB.

  • Interconnection

    Public media’s interconnection system is a distribution network that enables local stations to deliver your favorite programs, the news, music, and emergency communications every day for free. For more than 20 years, Congress has provided federal funding, separate from CPB funding, for public media’s interconnection system, which requires periodic updates to meet advancements in broadcast technology.
    Learn more about Interconnection.

  • Next Generation Warning System

    The Next Generation Warning strengthens public radio and television stations’ infrastructure to help advance critical public safety applications, including enhanced alerting and warning capabilities to serve all Americans.
    Learn more about the Next Generation Warning System.

  • Ready To Learn

    Managed by the Department of Education, Ready To Learn is a competitive grant program that helps support the creation of highly researched, educational children’s media content and community outreach targeted to help kids from low-income families ages 2-8 succeed in school. More than 100 research and evaluation studies show that children make academic gains in science and literacy when they watch public television’s educational programming and play complementary, interactive online and mobile games.
    Learn more about Ready To Learn.

Why is federal public media funding important?

Federal funding for CPB, Interconnection and Ready To Learn amounts to about $1.60 per person, a relatively small investment that ensures:

  • Every community can experience public media’s award winning educational, news, public safety, music and local programs and services
  • Rural, remote and island communities have access to local media
  • All Americans receive local and national emergency communications
  • Local children, regardless of income level, have access to proven effective educational content that will prepare them for school
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