The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have approved $535 million in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in fiscal year 2026. The funding, included in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024, upholds the two-year advance appropriation for public radio and television.
In a statement issued Saturday, CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison applauded Congress’ bipartisan support “of the great value delivered to the American people through our nation’s public media. Our trusted, nonpartisan, educational and informational content, provided to all Americans for free and commercial free, helps inspire all citizens from our youngest to lifelong learners, and in the process, strengthens our civil society,” Harrison said.
She also thanked lawmakers for recognizing “the importance of CPB’s two-year advance appropriation, providing a firewall that keeps public media nonpartisan and independent.”
In addition to the general funding, the budget includes $60 million for the public broadcasting interconnection system, which disseminates content across the public media system, including public safety and alerting messages.
It also allocated $40 million for the Next Generation Warning System at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to upgrade public broadcasting stations’ public safety infrastructure. And it provides for $31 million for the Ready To Learn program at the Department of Education, which supports national, safe, research-based children’s content. “Local public media stations extend this educational content deep into underserved communities through local partnerships, providing resources to parents, teachers, and caregivers who want the best for their young learners,” Harrison said.
Patrick Butler, President and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, said approval of the funding recognizes “the critical role our local stations play” in communities across the country. “Working under the challenging constraints of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Congress has made clear its enduring endorsement of our public service missions of education, public safety and civic leadership,” he said.
