Federal Funding for GPB and public media is at risk

On June 3, the White House formally asked Congress to eliminate federal funding for public media. The request, called a rescission, would remove the money Congress previously approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the next two years. Congress will have 45 days to adopt or reject this request. Passage requires a simple majority in the House and Senate. 

If lawmakers approve the rescission package, the move would be an unprecedented action against communities that rely on GPB and the entire public media system. It would destabilize the bedrock services public media provides—at a time when local journalism across the country is suffering. 

While GPB is funded largely through the support of our individual donors, federal support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) represents 12% of GPB’s annual budget. These funds play a critical role in our ability to bring quality programming, local news, educational resources and lifesaving emergency alerts to the people of Georgia.  

Learn more below about why federal funding for public media matters, and what you can do to stand with GPB.

  • What is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?

    The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a private 501[c]3 corporation created by Congress through the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 with two primary functions: to serve as a firewall between partisan politics and public broadcasting, and to help fund programming, stations and technology. The CPB is responsible for allocating their funds from the federal budget (an average of $1.60 per American annually) in any way that fulfills their mission: to ensure universal access, over-the-air and online, to high-quality content and telecommunications services that are commercial free and free of charge. NPR and PBS do not receive direct support from the CPB; the funding goes directly to local stations (like GPB) so we can decide how best to program for our community.

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  • Why does public media need federal funding?

    Federal funding supports essential local journalism, information, and programs – available to everyone, every day, for free, everywhere they are. CPB’s investment directly supports local, independent, nonprofit organizations like GPB across the country and enable us to provide essential programs and services. If federal funding is eliminated, public media stations could be forced to cut some or all of the following: signature educational programming, important public safety communications during national disasters, professional development and resources for teachers, music and cultural programming, local newsrooms and personnel providing information essential to the well-being of local communities. 

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  • How much CPB funding does GPB receive?

    GPB receives 12% of our annual budget from the CPB.

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  • What would happen if GPB lost CPB funding?

    While GPB is funded largely through the generous support of our donors, the funds we receive through CPB are an important part of our operating budget and would not be easily or quickly supplemented. Loss of federal funding would hinder our work, especially in serving a statewide audience with educational programs and resources for educators and families, local news and reporting, and programs that are freely accessible to all. Access to national programs like MASTERPIECE, Finding Your Roots, and NOVA that are funded in part through CPB funds may also be negatively impacted.  

    In addition, stations across the country rely on pooled resources from CPB including satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, the ability to license music, and to develop educational programs. The whole network would be impacted in ways that would also impact GPB.  

    GPB works as a team to create programming that enriches Georgians of all ages. The loss of federal funding would negatively affect our ability to provide free and trusted programming on which communities across the state rely. 

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  • What can you do?

    Here are a few things you can do right now to help:  

    • Pick up the phone or send an email now. Calls are especially critical given how quickly this legislation could move, and very easy and quick to make, with instructions and suggested scripts provided at Protect My Public Media. 
    • Talk to your family and neighbors – there is power in community! You can help spread the word about the need for public media. 
    • Follow GPB on social media to stay up to date on this and other important information. 
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