Protect My Public Media

On Thursday, June 12th, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 214–212 in favor of a proposal that would rescind $1.1 billion in federal funding already allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Our 2026 fiscal year begins on October 1st, 2025.

The proposal now moves to the Senate, where the outcome could be very different. Historically, the Senate has always had much stronger bi-partisan support for public media. A vote could be delayed, and there is still time to make our voices heard before the July 18 deadline.

This funding is essential to the work of public media stations like Ideastream Public Media. Now more than ever, we need your help. Call or email your representatives and tell them why they should vote against this rescission:

If you've already called or emailed your representatives, thank you for doing so. Know you can contact them again to make your voice heard. Federal funds make up 10% of our operating budget, but donations from individuals like you are our largest source of funding. You make public media possible.

Rescinding previously allocated funding for public media would significantly reduce or eliminate support for essential services provided by stations across the country. This funding is vital for sustaining local journalism, educational programming and the emergency alert system that communities depend on, especially in times of crisis. The Senate vote, if passed, it would jeopardize the ability of public media to deliver free, trusted, and accessible content to millions of Americans, including the core services Ideastream provides:

How To Get Involved

Call and Email Your Representatives

Your voice matters now more than ever. Call or email your representatives to oppose this rescission and protect Ideastream Public Media. If you’ve already contacted your local lawmakers, you can contact them again.

Become a Member

Community support is the lifeblood of public media. Contributions from members help sustain our ability to provide independent news, educational programming, and arts content. 

Be an Advocate

Stand up for public media, help raise awareness and inspire others to act! Whether you share your story, engage on social media, contact Congress, or encourage others to act, every voice makes a difference.

Stay Informed

Follow updates from Ideastream Public Media and other public media organizations to learn more about potential funding changes and how you can help.

Public Media Facts

• Millions of Americans use public media every month. 42 million Americans experience public radio across platforms through more than 1,207 public radio station each week. 160+ million Americans watch public television through 357 public television stations over the course of the year. 

• Public media is available to almost everyone. Public radio and television stations serve nearly 99% of the United States, including the most remote communities, with high-quality, non-commercial programming and services every day. 

• Public media is one of America’s most effective public/private partnerships. Annual federal funding amounts to about $1.60 per person and is leveraged by local stations to raise six times that amount from other sources. 

• Public media funding represents .01 percent of the federal budget. Cutting public media funding would have little impact on the national debt but would devastate local stations’ ability to serve their communities. 

• Public media is locally rooted. Each station is locally managed and makes programming and service decisions to address unique community needs and interests. 

• Public media makes communities safer. As the backbone of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), public media stations help keep the public informed and safe during emergencies. 

• Public media supports lifelong learning for all Americans. Investments in children’s educational, cultural, public affairs and news content, digital classroom resources, teacher training, and distance learning have made public media a leader in lifelong learning. 

• Public media preserves local history and culture. Through thoughtful storytelling, public media stations provide in-depth programs on the people, places and events that shape their communities. 

• Public media strengthens our democracy. Fact-based news and civil dialogue empower us to participate in the political process as informed citizens. 

• Public media helps prepare children for success in school. Public media’s early educational content is rigorously researched, tested and proven to help children learn.