WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 10, 2026 – Kate Riley, President and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, made the following statement on the House Appropriations Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies action yesterday that proposed zero funding for local public broadcasting stations’ educational content and services in its fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills.
“In addition to being deeply disappointed, as we noted last week, that the House Appropriations Committee did not restore funding for local public broadcasting stations in its FY 2027 Labor-HHS-Education bill, we now know that the bill also neglects to fund the Ready To Learn program, a critically important education competitive grant program that supports the creation and distribution of educational media content and services to millions of children across America.
“It is deeply disheartening that the House Appropriations Committee proposes to eliminate a proven educational program that provides trusted, free access to content and local services for our nation’s youngest learners – content that is especially important for the over 50% of three- to four-year-olds that do not attend a formal preschool.
“For over three decades, this highly successful program has been proven to prepare children for success in school and life by using the power of public television’s on-air, online, mobile and on-the-ground educational content and services to build the science, math and literacy skills of children ages two to eight, especially those from low-income families.
“The program combines the ability of public television to reach nearly 97% of Americans with a free over-the-air signal, with on-the-ground local station engagement that helps families and teachers make the most of these media resources locally.
“Just last week the Education Development Center released a comprehensive report on the significant positive impact that Ready To Learn content and the wrap-around local station community outreach services have on the educational outcomes for our nation’s youngest learners.
“Ready To Learn provides parents and caregivers with scientifically based, state standards-aligned media tools to improve their children’s literacy and STEM skills. It also builds community engagement through partnerships facilitated by local public television stations to effectively target services where they are most needed.
“Notwithstanding the committee action, we remain hopeful that the strong bipartisan support for local public media’s educational services, both in Congress and among the American people, will ultimately result in full funding for Ready To Learn as the appropriations process moves forward.”
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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