WASHINGTON – June 3, 2025 – Kate Riley, President and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, made the following statement on the rescissions package which would eliminate public media funding:
“America’s Public Television Stations strongly oppose the rescissions package to eliminate funding for local public media stations throughout the country.
“Americans in every corner of this country rely on our local public television stations to provide lifesaving public safety and educational services and local community connections for free, every day. These services are only made possible by the federal funding for public media.
“We urge Congress to reject this destructive proposal to eliminate public media funding and public media itself.
“This proposed elimination of CPB funding – the substantial majority of which goes to local stations – will result in immediate and serious cuts of stations’ local services and in some cases the total closure of stations, particularly in rural communities.
“Rescinding previously appropriated federal funding for public broadcasting defies the will of the American people and would devastate the public safety, educational and local service missions of public media stations.
“These services are essential for the American people and worthy of the federal investment, which amounts to about $1.60 per person per year and less than one 1/100th of a percent of the federal budget.
“Public media has earned the broad support of the American people, across the political spectrum, including 65% of people who voted for President Trump who think public television is either adequately funded or underfunded, according to a recent YouGov survey.
“That bipartisan support in the public has been consistently reflected in Congress, which approved funding for public media just a few months ago in the FY 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act.
“Federal funding for public media is irreplaceable and essential to local public media stations and the existence of the public media system as a whole.
“A rescission of funds threatens the very existence of the nation’s local public broadcasting stations and the entire public broadcasting system. This includes the over 160 locally operated and controlled public television stations that serve communities small and large throughout this country. Public broadcasting is a lifeline in hundreds of communities where there is no other source of local media.
“Eliminating federal funding for public media would leave many Americans, especially those in rural communities and states, without the critical services local public television stations provide from proven education resources to essential local connections. Eliminating federal funding for public media would significantly jeopardize public safety across the country.
“The federal investment in public media enables us to provide the delivery of geo-targeted wireless emergency alerts to cell phones, and the only nationwide situational awareness tool used by public safety officials to track and monitor the effectiveness of those alerts.
“We support families in preparing their kids for success in school and life with free, universally accessible, proven educational content, including for the over 50 percent of U.S. kids that don’t attend formal preschool. These are services that American families rely upon every day. In fact, according to a recent YouGov survey, 82% of voters, including 72% of Trump voters, said they valued PBS for its children's programming and educational tools.
“And we connect communities, celebrating their hometown heroes and local history, while coming together to address present day issues and chart a course for a bright future.
“We urge Congress to reject the destructive recissions of public broadcasting funding, respect the clear will of the American people and the long history of bipartisan support for our work, and continue the federal government’s investment in local public television stations’ essential missions of public safety, education and community connections.”
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and community connections to their local areas and the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org