Defunding of public media has been a goal for some Republicans for years, so far without success. Recent actions by the second Trump administration have caused a heightened sense of worry among that community.
A coalition of some 30 organizations in public media is stepping up efforts to resist.
They are organized under the umbrella of Protect My Public Media and declared Thursday “Protect My Public Media Day.”
The effort brings together a “broad, diverse network that understands the value of public media and advocates for the essential funding that public media needs to thrive,” according to its website. It said it aims to “amplify public media’s impact to engage lawmakers throughout the funding process.”
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting receives funding from Congress, which it distributes to public media organizations including National Public Radio and PBS. Congress appropriated $525 million to CPB in 2024.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Elon Musk, head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, both have suggested cutting funding to CPB.
Carr in January ordered an investigation into the airing of sponsorships on public broadcast stations to determine whether they are violating federal law by airing commercials. At the time Carr said he saw no reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS.
Musk this week posted on X: “Defund NPR. It should survive on its own.”
Protect My Public Media says approximately 1,500 public media stations serving all 50 states and U.S. territories reach nearly 99% of Americans public via broadcast signals and extend their impact through digital platforms.
“Without federal funding, many public media stations would be forced off the air or severely cut programming and services,” the site states. “Rural, Native American and Island communities would be hit the hardest, potentially losing access to their only local media source.” It says public media is nourished by a modest federal investment of about $1.60 per person annually.
The coalition includes organizations such as American Public Media, the Radio Television Digital News Association, California Public Radio, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, PRX, the VuHaus Group and Florida Public Media.
The first Protect My Public Media campaign launched in 2011. Originally called “170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting,” it sought to engage public broadcasting supporters around federal funding for local stations, according to a spokesperson. In 2013, the campaign was rebranded to Protect My Public Media.
The organization is soliciting others to join. It asked participants to call their lawmakers in Congress and sign an online petition. The website is www.protectmypublicmedia.org.
