The White House has announced plans to rescind funds for public media previously appropriated and if that happens, Congress will make critical decisions that could impact the future of public media, including VPM.
VPM is one of more than 1,500 locally and independently managed stations that receives funding from the federal government through the Corporation for Broadcasting (CPB).
In recent weeks, the need for and value of public media funding has become a topic of conversation. VPM has put together answers to some frequently asked questions on how public media funding works — and why it’s essential to us.
How does the federal funding work for public media?
- The federal government provides funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), an independent nonprofit that distributes federal dollars (an average of $1.60 per American annually) to local stations. That money is used to invest in programming and services according to each community’s needs.
- More than 70% of CPB’s funding goes directly to local nonprofit, independent public radio and television stations across the country like VPM.
- Funding for CPB is established through the federal budget annual appropriations process two years in advance with the intention of insulating funding from political pressures. Its total appropriation is currently over $500 million, less than 0.01% of the complete federal budget.
- CPB funding supports the infrastructure for emergency alert systems (and AMBER alerts in certain states), music licensing and development of educational programs, all of which would be too expensive for stations to do on their own.
How much CPB funding does VPM receive?
Approximately 6 – 7% percent of VPM’s $20 million budget comes from CPB annual funding, about $1.5 million. VPM leverages those dollars to raise more than 4 times that from the community.
Why does VPM (or any station) need federal funding?
Federal funding is essential to the public-private partnership that supports public media, which provides nearly every citizen in the U.S. with access to educational programming, civic information and emergency alerts.
Even though member and local business support makes up the bulk of our funding, federal funding — which costs an average of $1.60 per American per year and is split amongst more than 1,500 public media stations — makes public media as you currently know it possible.
At VPM, federal funding – along with community donations – support the creation of local news and information; arts and culture programming about the Commonwealth; and resources to advance early childhood education outcomes. This means:
- operating the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system
- providing family friendly entertainment, including national programs like All Creatures Great and Small, Nature and NOVA and local programs like Virginia Home Grown and Un-Wine'd.
- improving early childhood education outcomes. VPM airs educational PBS KIDS programs such as Sesame Street, Carl the Collector and Daniel Tiger and connects parents and caregivers to valuable resources so they can make decisions about how to best support their children’s education
- covering local news and providing free access to important civic institutions by broadcasting meetings of the General Assembly and Richmond City Council and providing live coverage of the State of the Commonwealth address.
Cuts to federal funding would negatively impact VPM’s ability to serve our Central Virginia community in all the ways you’ve relied on. Smaller, rural stations, which rely even more on CPB funding, might not survive at all — leaving entire communities without access to news or emergency alerts.
Why is public broadcasting needed when we can get news and content from so many sources?
Public media stations across the country, like VPM, are some of the last locally owned and operated media entities in our communities, and we are committed to engaging the community through events, conversations, and programs that reflect local interests.
Public media reaches 99% of the U.S. population and serves millions of Americans every day with free and accessible programs, regardless of population density, income or geographic challenges.
Local public media stations provide critical information — always free of charge — to help citizens make informed decisions.
Join the Fight to Protect Public Media
Efforts to eliminate public media are underway in Washington D.C. If successful, it would limit VPM’s ability to deliver the local news, music, arts and culture programming, and children’s shows you rely on. Learn how you can help at Protect My Public Media.
Protect My Public Media