$36.5M in Emergency Funding to Protect Public Media in Vulnerable Communities
4 days ago
- #public-media
- #philanthropy
- #journalism
- Knight Foundation, Pivotal, MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Schmidt Family Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation commit $37 million to support public media stations at risk of closure due to federal funding cuts.
- The $1.1 billion federal funding cut to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) threatens over 1,500 local public radio and TV stations, with 115 stations losing more than 30% of their budgets.
- Rural, Indigenous, and underserved communities are most vulnerable to losing access to local news and educational services.
- $26.5 million will go to the Public Media Bridge Fund for stabilization grants, low-interest loans, and advisory services to help stations achieve financial sustainability.
- MacArthur Foundation is providing an additional $10 million in direct support to public media stations and programs.
- The initiative aims to ensure continued access to trusted local journalism and calls for more philanthropic support to fortify public media.