WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 5, 2026 – Kate Riley, President and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, made the following statement on the action taken today by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies and the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee on federal funding for local public broadcasting stations across America in its fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills.
“America’s Public Television Stations are disappointed that the House Appropriations Labor-H Subcommittee did not include essential funding for local public television stations today in their FY 2027 appropriations bill.
“As drafted, the House Appropriations Labor-H Subcommittee Appropriations Bill misses an opportunity to extend a desperately needed lifeline to local public media stations that continue to be devastated by the rescission of public media funding last summer.
“We have asked Congress to create a new fund in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill which would provide direct grants to local public broadcasting stations throughout the country through a Local Public Broadcasting Commission. Stations would be able to use the funding to support local station operations, local programming and essential community services.
“With the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) dissolved, a new mechanism is needed to provide direct grants to stations to support their local public services. This fund would provide the support needed to ensure the stabilization of local stations and continuity of services that are now at risk at stations nationwide due to the rescission of public broadcasting funding.
“The rescission of public broadcasting funding has most directly impacted local stations and their communities. By statute over 70% of the annual appropriation to CPB went to local stations.
“With that funding now gone, many local stations throughout the country are reeling with some struggling to survive. Stations in communities small and large throughout the country are cutting local programming, staff, public services, operations and more. One station has already closed and an additional station just ceased broadcast operations. Without the restoration of local station funding, more will likely follow suit.
“This funding is desperately needed to stabilize local public media stations and ensure the continuity of exceptional public services that they provide to their local communities.
“America’s Public Television Stations are grateful that the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee today recognized the essential role that public television plays in the nation’s civil defense, public safety and homeland security. The subcommittee’s recommendation of continued funding of $50 million for the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) will help ensure public broadcasters are able to meet their public safety missions and provide the highest level of resilient and reliable public safety and homeland security services to communities throughout the country.
“Civil defense, public safety and homeland security are foundational elements of public television’s mission to serve the American people. Public broadcasting stations reach 99% of the American population, and we are the only local media in many areas, making our work in alert and warning critical to the safety of people and communities throughout the country.
“Public television’s digital infrastructure provides the backbone for emergency alert, public safety, first responder, and homeland security services in many states and communities, including many local stations that serve as their states’ primary Emergency Alert Service (EAS) hub for severe weather and AMBER alerts.
“In addition, public television is one of two technologically diverse pathways that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state and local public safety officials use to send Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) messages to cell phone subscribers. The encrypted messages ride over the public television broadcast spectrum and infrastructure directly to cell phone providers who in turn send them to their subscribers. Sending these messages over the public broadcasting pathway ensures they can reach every corner of the country, even if internet service is compromised or unavailable. These geo-targeted messages can reach subscribers wherever they are in the event of an emergency.
“The NGWS grant program at FEMA enhances public broadcasting stations’ ability to provide alert and warning and interoperable public safety communications and to incorporate emergency technology into lifesaving activities. NGWS helps stations replace aging infrastructure that is essential to their ability to transmit alerts and warning and their other public safety missions. In addition, NGWS helps stations incorporate emerging technology to enhance those lifesaving activities.
“Public broadcasting has long been a committed partner with the public safety community, but that work depends on reliable and resilient public broadcasting infrastructure which this program supports.
“We appreciate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Mark Amodei (R-NV), Ranking Member Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and the entire subcommittee’s continuing bipartisan support for the public safety work of local public television stations.
“We remain hopeful that funding for the Local Public Broadcasting Commission and Ready To Learn will be fully funded in the final FY 2027 appropriations bill that will support local stations’ ability to help keep Americans safe, to educate America’s children, and to connect Americans to their own communities and open doors to other hometowns across this country.”
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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