Statement from CPB on the President’s FY 2021 Budget Proposal Eliminating Funding for Public Media

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 10, 2020) — Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), released the following statement regarding the President’s proposed FY 2021 budget, which would rescind all but $30 million of each FY 2021 and FY 2022 funding for public media:   

“We look forward to working with Congress in the continued pursuit of our statutory public service mission of supporting educational, informational and diverse content that addresses the needs of our nation’s citizens -- a mission the American people overwhelmingly trust in and support.

“The federal appropriation to CPB is the foundation of our uniquely American, public-private partnership that supports our nation’s public media system --  a system of more than 1,500 locally controlled and operated public television and radio stations across the country. This seed money pays invaluable dividends to millions of Americans and their families in the form of content and resources that educate, inform and inspire.

“Through public media initiatives such as American Graduate and Ready To Learn, stations provide high-quality educational content and community engagement that helps Americans prepare for success in school and career. As the most trusted news source in America, local public media stations offer journalism that elevates local stories to a national audience. Further, public media stations’ infrastructure provides critical communications functions during local and national emergencies to first responders and emergency management officials."

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook, LinkedIn, and subscribe for other updates.