WASHINGTON – May 31, 2025 – Kate Riley, President and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, made the following statement on President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget released today:
“America’s Public Television Stations are deeply disappointed that President Trump’s FY 2026 budget proposal recommends eliminating federal funding for the locally controlled public television stations that the American people rely on and support funding for, including 65% of people who voted for the President.
“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 public safety information and communications capabilities, proven education resources, and essential local connections. Eliminating federal funding for public media would significantly jeopardize public safety across the country, particularly in areas with weak cell coverage and less broadband access.
“The vast majority of federal funding for public media, provided though the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, goes directly to the independent and locally controlled public television and radio stations that provide essential public services to their local communities throughout this country. The mission of public media stations is to reflect and serve their local communities, tell their stories, and provide needed public safety services, education resources and local information. These services are particularly critical in more rural areas, many of which have no other sources or local media.
“Eliminating this funding is a direct attack on the communities that depend on their local public media stations everyday for public safety, education and community connections.
“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.
“The federal investment in public media supports 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 the federal investment in public media connects communities, celebrating their hometown heroes and local history, while coming together to address present day issues and chart a course for a bright future.
“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.
“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.
“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. And in March, the Pew Research Center found that Americans are more likely to support than oppose continuing federal funding for NPR and PBS by a factor of almost 2:1.
“America's Public Television Stations now look to Congress to respect the clear will of the American people, to honor the long history of bipartisan support for our work, and to 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