The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was a private, nonprofit corporation established by Congress through the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
As the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting, CPB became the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services.
For nearly six decades, CPB’s mission was to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services. More than 70% of its funding was distributed directly to more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations across the country.
In FY 2025:
- CPB supported 386 radio grantees, representing 1,216 public radio stations
- CPB supported 158 television grantees, representing 365 public TV stations
- 245 of the total 544 radio and TV grantees were considered rural
- 99% of Americans had access to public media
- More than 70% of federal funding went directly to local public media stations
- Less than 5% of funding was spent on CPB operations
CPB never produced programming and did not own, operate, or control local stations. It was also independent from PBS, NPR, and local public television and radio stations.
Instead, CPB supported programs and services that informed, educated, and enriched the public. In line with the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB funded the development of content that addressed the needs of underserved audiences, especially children and minorities. CPB also invested in digital platforms used by thousands of public media producers and production companies nationwide.
In addition, CPB provided critical support for the infrastructure that delivered public media content and emergency alerts to local stations—ensuring that communities everywhere, from rural towns to urban centers, could rely on public media both in daily life and in moments of crisis.