It’s time to take a stand for this trusted public service you rely on.
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to rescind previously approved federal funding for public media.
This is a deeply disappointing step, but it’s not the end. The Senate must also vote on the rescission package. We expect the vote in the coming days or weeks. The Senate Parliamentarian has ruled that the deadline for a vote is July 18, so we still have time, and we are not giving up.
The loss of federal funds, if approved by the Senate, would impact Michigan Public and our public media system nationwide. It will threaten news coverage, cultural programming, emergency services, and in some places, local jobs. But it will not shake our commitment.
This effort to weaken independent journalism—both local and national—makes it even clearer how essential a free, public press is to the health of our democracy. Over the past few days, more than 600,000 messages were sent to Congress, with countless more we can’t even track.
That’s the sound of a nation standing up for public media.
Add your voice right now! It can make all the difference. Visit Protect My Public Media.
We care deeply for the people of Michigan, and we take seriously the mandate laid out in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967: to serve the public interest, provide free and trusted news, and help connect and uplift our communities, without corporate or political interference.
To continue this work, we need you to speak up and step forward. Here's how you can help:
Building our donor base right now is one of the most powerful ways you can protect public media’s future. It gives us the stability to plan, the courage to innovate, and the independence to keep public service at the center of everything we do.
We are needed. You are needed. And together, we will keep showing up for Michigan and for the country.
What you need to know now:
- Congress extended federal funding for the CPB through fiscal year 2027 in February. Federal funding for government programs, including support for public media, is currently authorized under a Continuing Resolution. Both the U.S. House and Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend FY2024 federal funding levels through the rest of FY2025, with a few alterations and adjustments. It includes level funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (the two-year advance to FY 2027), as well as Interconnection and the Next Generation Warning System.
- Last year, Michigan Public received 6.5% (over $500,000) of its budget from the CPB.
- The FCC launched an investigation into the underwriting practices of NPR and PBS, and their member stations. In announcing the investigation, the FCC chairman expressly indicated his opinion that NPR and PBS should no longer receive taxpayer dollars.
- The Presidents and CEOs of NPR and PBS, Katherine Maher and Paula Kerger, testified at a Congressional Oversight DOGE subcommittee (Marjorie Taylor Greene R-GA, Chair) hearing on federal funding of public media and bias in content on March 26.
