The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will distribute $7.1 million in remaining Community Service Grant (CSG) funds to eligible public radio and television stations, potentially marking the final federal support for public media after over five decades of funding 1,500 stations nationwide.
Without new appropriations, this disbursement concludes CPB’s foundational role.
“Local public media stations are vital to meeting community information and education needs,” said CPB COO Kathy Merritt. “The loss of federal funding has hit the public media neighborhood hard.”
In 2025, CPB allocated $388.35 million in CSG payments, leaving a small balance of unawarded or returned funds. Typically, these would roll over, but the Rescissions Act of 2025 eliminated funding for 2026 and 2027. With no new federal support, CPB is winding down and will distribute the remaining funds soon.
Public television grantees will receive $15,680 each, while radio grantees will get $5,370 to $26,582, based on station size, coverage, and service obligations—far less than typical annual CSG funding. The end of federal support has led many stations to cut staff, local programming, educational partnerships, and journalism, with the greatest impact felt in small towns, rural areas, and tribal communities where public media is a critical resource.