If you’ve been following the news lately, you may have heard debates over whether taxpayer money should fund public media. Major budget discussions are happening in Washington, with some lawmakers focused on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
So, what exactly is the CPB? Why is this budget issue trending? And most importantly, what impact does it have on us here in New Hampshire? If you care about local news, original arts and culture programming, and investigative journalism for New Hampshire, here are five things you should know about public media and federal funding today – and, what you can do to help.
Why do public media stations like NHPR matter?
- Public media stations are a reliable source of free, nonpartisan news and information, available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
- Public media reaches 99 percent of the U.S. population geographically. Each week, 44 million Americans rely on public radio for news, according to NPR.
- We are community-driven. In many communities where local public media organizations serve, they are the last locally owned and operated media organizations remaining.
- Public media stations are essential public safety partners. During emergencies, public media stations in big cities and rural areas alike provide 24/7 communications about severe weather, AMBER alerts, and other local emergencies.
- Teachers and parents turn to public media for free and reliable educational programming. From NHPR’s Civics 101 to PBS KIDS, families and teachers trust public media for quality educational content.
What is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?
On a two-year advance basis - designed to insulate journalism from political interference - Congress appropriates money to support the independent Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In turn, CPB, a not-for-profit organization authorized by Congress to manage the federal government’s investment in public media, makes annual grants to public radio and television stations across the country. The grants, based on a set of formulas, amount to less than $2 per American each year. (This recent episode of Civics 101 explores CPB and the politics of federal funding for public media, if you’d like a refresher.)
How much of NHPR’s funding comes from taxpayers?
About 6 percent of NHPR’s annual revenues come from CPB. CPB also helps NHPR indirectly, by paying for satellites that connect the NPR Network, among other things. The largest source of NHPR’s revenue comes from the communities we serve – our sustaining members, corporate support partners, and major gifts from individuals and foundations. You can explore NHPR’s funding sources in full in our annual Impact Report here.
Why does federal funding matter to NHPR and other public media stations?
Even though it is a small percentage of NHPR’s overall budget, federal funding is a critical support for NHPR and many other public media organizations. Cuts to CPB funding would negatively affect NHPR’s ability to provide you and your neighbors with unique local programs and news services across many platforms, from radio to streaming, and online at NHPR.org.
How can I show my support for NHPR and public media now?
You can find resources to help you contact your elected officials at ProtectMyPublicMedia.org. You can also talk about what public media means to you with your family, friends, and networks. If you share your story about what public media means to you on social media, use the hashtag #protectmypublicmedia.
And now is a great time to consider making a gift to NHPR or increasing your sustaining gift. Individual contributors like you are NHPR’s largest and most sustainable source of funding, helping keep independent, nonpartisan news and information available to all Granite Staters for free. If you are already a member, we thank you for your support.
An earlier version of this post incorrectly explained the process by which Congress funds the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
