The future of Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio is at risk. At the formal request of President Trump, the House of Representatives has voted to pass a bill that would strip away $1.1 billion in already-approved funding for public media — funding that was signed into law for the more than 1,500 stations across the country, including Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio.
What does this mean for public media?
This vote is a grave and direct attack on public media, putting at risk the independent journalism, educational programming, and local connection that millions of Americans rely on every day.
But this isn’t just about television or radio. It’s about connection. It’s about access to learning. It’s about preserving a space where everyone can come together around trusted, educational, and inspiring content, free to all, regardless of income or background.
We stand to lose more than $1 million annually, which will directly impact the independent journalism, educational content, and engaging community programming we produce for you.
Stations like ours in Rhode Island are already counting on this funding to stay on the air, serve our communities, and deliver the trusted content you count on. If it’s eliminated, the consequences will be widespread and deeply felt.
This is an inflection point. What happens next will define the future of public media.
What’s next?
The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate, which could vote any day. If the Senate passes it, it will be signed into law by the President, and this funding will be gone for good. That means the threat is not only real — it’s urgent.
This request is time-limited. If the Senate fails to pass the bill before the clock runs out, the bill dies, and the President cannot propose to rescind the same funds again — but the threat of other attacks on public media funding remains.
Federal funding for CPB, Interconnection, and Ready To Learn directly supports local stations and ensures:
- Every community can experience public media’s award-winning educational, news, public safety, music and local programs and services
- All Americans receive local and national emergency communications
- Local children, regardless of income level, have access to proven-effective educational content that will prepare them for school
On May 2, the U.S. Department of Education notified the CPB that its 2020-2025 Ready To Learn grant is terminated, effective immediately, after 30 years of funding the development of educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children.
Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio is one of 44 public media stations that receive Ready To Learn grants and were instructed to stop work immediately.
The loss of this grant significantly hinders our station’s ability to provide free educational programming to the community, including 20 events aimed at supporting early childhood educators, caregivers, parents, and children in fostering school readiness.
- CPB funding supports over 1,500 public media stations across the U.S.
- Public media funding is a very small part of the federal budget – .01 percent – and amounts to roughly $1.60 per person annually.
- For every $1 of federal funding, public media stations raise over $6 from local sources.
- More than 70% of federal funds go directly to local stations, like Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio.
Without this funding, we all lose something. We need YOUR help.
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Share our content and champion our work with your networks.
Share the Message
Awareness is powerful. Many people don’t realize that CPB funding is just a fraction of the federal budget, but its impact is huge.
📢 Spread the Word on Social Media
Use the hashtag #StandShareSupport and tag us to show your support:
- Instagram: @rhodeislandpbs @thepublicsradio
- Facebook: @rhodeislandpbs
- X/Twitter: @thepublicsradio
- Bluesky: @ripbs-tpr.bsky.social
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Take a few minutes to tell us what role public media plays in your life.
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Support in Your Way
Your donation of any size is the surest way to safeguard local journalism, support cultural exploration of our rich local music and arts scene, and continue rigorous educational programming provided by our hardworking team at Rhode Island Public Media.
But it’s not the only way. You can show your support through action and conversation.
Together, We Are Stronger
This is about more than a budget line. It’s about preserving public spaces that inform, educate, and connect. Let’s stand together. Let’s share the message. Let’s support the future of public media in Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts, and all across America.
