Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10), and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) led 103 of their Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee leaders requesting that Congress continue funding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).  The effort comes as President Trump attempts to cut federal funding for public media, including NPR and PBS, which provides reliable news to millions of Americans and has historically received overwhelming bipartisan support. 

“Objectivity and balance and diversity of thought in public broadcasting are essential to serving the public interest and preserving the public’s trust,” the members wrote.  “That’s why in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, Congress authorized the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government, to steward the federal government’s investment in public media. This structure shields content decisions from political influence and the statute compels CPB to uphold “strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature.

“This federal funding is critical to the work of all local public broadcasting stations to provide essential services and programming to local communities; enable local journalism that address current issues in an objective, fair, and balanced manner; facilitate local public safety and emergency alert services, and support educational services to millions of students, teachers, parents and caregivers,” the members continued.  “Unlike commercial media, public media operates under a unique statutory mandate to serve the public interest, focusing on educational and cultural enrichment and public safety, not profit. 

“In addition to transmitting emergency alerts, public radio stations provide flexible, live coverage of emergencies and connect lifesaving information to first responders and residents during unfolding events. During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, even as many other news sources lost power and internet, Blue Ridge Public Radio remained online in the Asheville, North Carolina area and delivered hourly local updates and statements from public officials to the more than 500,000 people impacted by power outages in the region,” the members concluded.  In Florida, a network of 14 public media stations across the state began coverage of Hurricane Helene a week before its major landfall, granting residents direct access to real-time weather alerts and updates across all platforms and apps. In Texas, Houston Public Media was able to utilize its over-the-air signal to connect first responders and residents in the Gulf Coast region with lifesaving information during the May Derecho and Hurricane Beryl last year.”

On May 1, President Trump issued an executive order to stop CPB from issuing federal funds to NPR and PBS.  Today, public media reaches nearly 99 percent of the U.S. population.  In many rural communities, public media stations are the only sources of local media.  If CPB funding were terminated, stations would be forced to cut programs and services. 

To read the full text of this year’s letter, click here.