CSG Policy
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, December 11, 2023
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Under the provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB makes grants to eligible public radio stations in a manner intended to provide for the needs and requirements of stations so that they may serve their local communities and audiences; and
WHEREAS,
The Community Service Grant (CSG) program is the primary mechanism for CPB to provide this financial support to local stations; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has consulted with a panel of radio station representatives regarding changes to CSG policy and invited and received comment directly from public radio stations as part of this consultation process; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has reviewed and endorses the panel’s recommendations that current policies be retained – including organization by grantee coverage area population (CAP) categories, alignment of minimum non-federal financial support and staffing requirements with CAP categories, methodology for reporting indirect administrative support, extension of the incentive grant to all grantees, applying the 1.25 multiplier for minority grantees’ NFFS up to $5 million, and the three-year probationary period for grantees that do not meet eligibility requirements – except as outlined below.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendations for the following changes to radio CSG policy.
Recommendation 1
Increase the base grant amounts in coverage area population (CAP) categories 1, 2 and 3 for fiscal year 2025 by ten percent.
Continue to align base grants with CAP categories and adjust all base grants proportionately with the CPB appropriation. Continue to provide base grants for grantees designated as minority or rural an amount no lower than the CAP category 3 base grant.
Recommendation 2
Incentive Grants
To calculate the incentive grant portion of the CSG, implement the tiering of non-federal financial support (NFFS) as follows:
- Tier 1: Apply the incentive rate of return (IRR)[1] to 100% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar up to $3 million.
- Tier 2: Apply the IRR to 95% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar over $3 million but less than $15 million.
- Tier 3: Apply the IRR to 80% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar over $15 million.
[1] IRR is the incentive rate of return or CPB’s match to each eligible dollar of NFFS. The IRR is derived by dividing the total amount of system NFFS dollars approved for matching by the total amount of dollars in the incentive grant pool. The incentive grant pool is comprised of the balance of CSG funds available after the base grant and supplemental grants are calculated.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, DC
Monday, December 11, 2023
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Under the provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB makes grants to eligible public television stations in a manner intended to provide for the needs and requirements of stations so that they may serve their local communities and audiences; and
WHEREAS,
The Community Service Grant (CSG) program is the primary mechanism for CPB to provide this financial support to local stations; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has consulted with a panel of television station representatives regarding changes to CSG policy and invited and received comment directly from public television stations as part of this consultation process; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has reviewed and endorses the panel’s recommendations that current policies be retained – including the base grant formula, methodology for reporting indirect administrative support, the minimum non-federal financial support eligibility requirement, and the second base grant policy for mergers – except as outlined below.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendations for the following changes to television CSG policy.
Recommendation 1
Incentive Grant
Retain the tiering of non-federal financial support (NFFS) to calculate the incentive grant portion of the CSG with a change to Tier 3, applying the incentive rate of return (IRR) [1] to 80% instead of 95% of a grantees’ NFFS:
- Tier 1: Apply the IRR to 100% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar up to $3 million.
- Tier 2: Apply the IRR to 92.5% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar over $3 million but less than $20 million.
- Tier 3: Apply the IRR to 80% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar of $20 million or more.
Recommendation 2
Incentive Grant
Calculate the incentive grants of grantees that report NFFS of $35 million or more by using a five-year average NFFS. Then, tier the average NFFS per CPB policy.
Discontinue the current year-over-year growth limit on NFFS and options for grantees reporting more than $35 million in NFFS to make allocations of NFFS into future years.
Recommendation 3
Universal Service Support Grant
Increase the pool for the Universal Service Support Grant program from 2% of the CPB’s federal appropriation to 2.2%.
[1] IRR is the incentive rate of return or CPB’s match to each eligible dollar of NFFS. The IRR is derived by dividing the total amount of system NFFS dollars approved for matching by the total amount of dollars in the incentive grant pool. The incentive grant pool is comprised of the balance of CSG funds available after the base grant and supplemental grants are calculated.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, June 28, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Following discussions with the 2019 Television Community Service Grant (CSG) Policy Review panel, CPB commissioned research regarding the optimal period of time that television Community Service Grant (CSG) recipients that have merged should continue to receive the base grants that would have been provided to each of the grantees before the merger; and
WHEREAS,
CPB engaged research firm Pacey Economics, Inc, and has considered the research findings; and
WHEREAS,
Based on those research findings, CPB management seeks authorization to modify TV CSG policy to set the number of years a second base grant be provided at pre-merger levels to merged television entities to four years.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
The CPB Board of Directors approves modifying TV CSG policy to set the number of years that CPB provides merging television CSG grantees with a second CSG base grant at pre-merger levels to four years.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
May 5, 2020
(7 in favor; 1 absent)
WHEREAS,
In September 2019, the CPB Board approved TV Community Service Grant policy changes that included the establishment of a $1 million Healthy Network Initiative to begin October 1, 2020, to support eligible grantees that strategically develop and use data to more effectively understand, engage, and serve their audiences.
WHEREAS,
Since that time, COVID-19 has created unprecedented economic disruption across the nation, challenging public television stations’ ability to maintain local programming and services.
WHEREAS,
Public television stations have incurred additional costs to meet their communities’ intensified educational, health and safety, and public information needs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
WHEREAS,
CPB Management, with the endorsement of the 2019 Television Community Service Grant panel of station representatives that originally recommended the Healthy Network Initiative, recommends delaying implementation of the new Healthy Network Initiative to FY 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendation to postpone the launch of the CSG Healthy Network Initiative from FY 2021 to FY 2022; and distribute as unrestricted funds through the general CSG pool the $1 million that would have been allocated to the initiative in FY 2021.
RESOLUTION PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, December 9, 2019
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Under the provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB makes grants to eligible public radio stations in a manner intended to provide for the needs and requirements of stations so that they may serve their local communities and audiences; and
WHEREAS,
The Community Service Grant (CSG) program is the primary mechanism for CPB to provide this financial support to local stations; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has consulted with a panel of radio station representatives regarding changes to CSG policy and invited and received comment directly from public radio stations as part of this consultation process; and
WHEREAS,
The panel of station representatives has made a series of recommendations to CPB management, which have been reviewed by management, shared with the public radio system for further comment, and significantly informed management’s recommendations to the CPB Board.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendations for changes to radio CSG policy as outlined in the attached.
Recommendation 1
Organize grantees by Coverage Area Population (CAP) as follows:
|
CAP Category |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
CAP Range |
< 20K |
20K-100K |
100K- 300K |
300K-1M |
1M-3M |
> 3M |
Recommendation 2
Align base grants with CAP categories and change all base grants proportionately with the CPB appropriation. Base grants would be distributed as follows:
|
CAP Category |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
CAP Range |
< 20K |
20K-100K |
100K-300K |
300K-1M |
1M-3M |
> 3M |
|
Base Grants |
$90,000 |
$85,000 |
$75,000 |
$60,000 |
$50,000 |
$35,000 |
Recommendation 3
Align minimum NFFS amounts with CAP categories. Grantees must meet the following minimum requirements for NFFS raised in any given fiscal year to maintain eligibility:
|
CAP Category |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
CAP Range |
< 20K |
20K to <100K |
100K to <300K |
300K to <1M |
1M to <3M |
> 3M |
|
Minimum NFFS |
$250,000 |
$275,000 |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
$400,000 |
$500,000 |
|
Minimum NFFS (minority or rural) |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$275,000 |
$275,000 |
$300,000 |
$400,000 |
|
Minimum NFFS (minority + rural) |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
Sole service grantees have no minimum NFFS requirement. All other grantees must meet the minimum direct NFFS requirement, which is half the amount of their minimum NFFS requirement.
Recommendation 4
Align minimum staffing with CAP categories. Grantees must meet the following minimum requirements for staffing in any given fiscal year to maintain eligibility:
|
CAP Category |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
CAP Range |
< 20K |
20K to <100K |
100K to <300K |
300K to <1M |
1M to <3M |
> 3M |
|
Minimum Staff |
2FT |
2FT |
2FT |
3 (min. 2FT) |
4 (min. 2FT) |
4 (min. 2FT) |
Minority grantees may count full-time equivalents (FTEs) toward the FT employee staffing requirement. Sole service grantees have no minimum staffing requirement.
Recommendation 5
Tier NFFS for incentive grant calculations. Use 90% of all NFFS reported up to $300,000; 100% of all NFFS reported from $300,000 up to $15 million; and 80% of all NFFS reported above $15 million to calculate incentive grants.
Extend incentive grants to all grantees in the CSG program.
Lower the multiplier on NFFS for minority grantees from 1.5 to 1.25 on NFFS up to $5 million.
Recommendation 6
Extend the probationary period for grantees that fail to meet eligibility requirements from two years to three years.
Recommendation 7
Institute a new method for reporting indirect administrative support (IAS) as NFFS:
- Derive a rate by dividing the licensee’s indirect costs by its direct costs;
- Apply the rate to a base amount consisting of the station’s net direct expenses (add physical plant support, if applicable, computed using CPB’s current instructions and subtract payments made by the station to its licensee for direct services).
Beginning with fiscal year 2020 annual financial reporting to CPB, grantees submitting an annual financial report (AFR) to CPB must use this method to report IAS as NFFS. Two exceptions would be provided: (1) State grantees, as approved by CPB, that do not have access to a sufficiently discrete financial statement may use a grantee-developed method; (2) Grantees that submit financial summary report (FSRs) will use a grantee-developed method. For stations that experience a significant reduction in IAS as a result of this policy change, CPB will allow for a phasing-in of the new method.
Recommendation 8
Phase-in new elements of the program over three years as follows:
Year 1 (FY 2021)
Implement:
- CAP categories
- New base grants; all base grant amounts change proportionately with the CPB appropriation
- New NFFS minimums
- New staffing minimums
- New IAS calculation method introduced and compared to current method; current calculation methods determine IAS
- New probationary periods
- Incentive grants to all grantees
- Tiering of NFFS as follows:
|
NFFS Tier |
NFFS Range |
Percent of Qualifying NFFS |
|
A |
< $300K |
90% |
|
B |
$300K to <15M |
100% |
|
C |
≥$15M |
100% |
Year 2 (FY 2022)
Implement:
- Use of new calculation method to determine IAS
- Tiering of NFFS as follows:
|
NFFS Tier |
NFFS Range |
Percent of Qualifying NFFS |
|
A |
< $300K |
90% |
|
B |
$300K to <15M |
100% |
|
C |
≥$15M |
90% |
Year 3 (FY 2023)
Implement:
- Tiering of NFFS as follows:
|
NFFS Tier |
NFFS Range |
Percent of Qualifying NFFS |
|
A |
< $300K |
90% |
|
B |
$300K to <15M |
100% |
|
C |
≥$15M |
80% |