© 2025 KGOU
News and Music for Oklahoma
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Public Media Funding FAQ

Knoll, Laura J.

Recently, public media funding has become a common topic of conversation. So, to help enlighten the discussion, KGOU is offering answers to some frequently asked questions on how public media funding works — and why it’s essential to our service.

Five things to know about public media and federal funding:

  • Public media (NPR and PBS) reaches 99% of the U.S. population and serves millions of Americans every day.
  • The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is an independent nonprofit that distributes federal dollars (an average of $1.60 per American annually) to local stations. That money is invested in programming and services according to each community’s needs.
  • About 8% of KGOU’s annual funding comes from the CPB.
  • CPB funding allows public media stations to pool resources toward satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, music licensing and development and purchase of programs which would be too expensive for stations to do on their own.
  • Cuts to federal funding would hurt the ability of stations serving rural areas, like ours, to serve the people who need it most.

As an NPR member station, KGOU is part of a nationwide public media network that serves nearly 99% of Americans with free and accessible news, educational, and entertainment programs, weather and emergency alerts, and more, regardless of population density, income or geographic challenges.

Public media stations are partially funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) through Community Service Grants. Each station is locally managed and makes programming and service decisions to address unique community needs and interests. At KGOU, these programs and services include national shows you enjoy, like Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as local favorites such as Capitol Insider, The Weekend Blues and KGOU Readers Club, and collaborative reporting provided by StateImpact Oklahoma and other news partners.  

Public media’s emergency service includes lifesaving emergency alerts through its management and operation of the Public Radio Satellite System and the Emergency Alert System.

So you can be well-informed about public media funding, we’ve put together these frequently asked questions about how CPB funding works, and what impact the reduction or absence of that funding may have on public radio and television here and across the nation. You can also find valuable information at protectmypubicmedia.org. If you have other questions, you can reach us at manager@kgou.org..

This post will be updated.

What is the CPB’s role in public broadcasting?

The CPB is distinct from both NPR and PBS. CPB is not a broadcast organization, but an independent, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 with two primary functions: to serve as a firewall between partisan politics and public broadcasting, and to help fund programming, stations and technology.

Funding for CPB is established through the federal budget annual appropriations process. Traditionally, Congress provides an advance appropriation to CPB so stations can plan and purchase programs knowing that CPB funding will be available for at least two years and will be insulated from political pressures.

CPB is responsible for allocating its funds from the federal budget in any way that fulfills their mission: to ensure universal access, over-the-air and online, to high-quality content and telecommunications services that are commercial free and free of charge. 

Currently, CPB receives more than $500 million per year to support NPR, PBS and their local member stations across the United States.

NPR and PBS don’t receive direct support from the CPB; the funding goes directly to local stations so they can decide how best to program for their communities.

How much CPB funding does KGOU receive?

About 8% of KGOU’s budgeted revenue comes from the CPB. That is approximately $150,000 per year. The amount of CPB funding each station receives is calculated using a complex formula that takes into account our region’s population, institutional support, and how much funding we are able to raise locally from donations by individuals and from small businesses and organizations.

Why does KGOU (or any station) need federal funding?

Even though individual and local business support makes up the bulk of KGOU’s funding (about 75%), federal funding — which costs an average of $1.60 per American per year — makes public media as you currently know it possible.

CPB’s investment directly supports local stations across the country and enables them to provide essential programs and services. If federal funding is eliminated, public media stations could be forced to cut some or all of the following:

  • Signature educational content as set forth in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
  • Important public safety and emergency communications during natural disasters, including weather
  • Professional development and resources for teachers
  • Music and cultural programming
  • Local newsrooms and personnel providing information essential to the well-being of local communities

Some stations, particularly those in rural areas that secure a larger percentage of their revenue from the CPB, could even be forced off the air. In many rural communities, public media stations are the only local sources of news and emergency information.

Stable funding from the CPB and other sources has made it possible for KGOU to maintain multiple radio transmitters to serve our listeners across the state with essential services that provide the public with local, national and world news as well as daily weather forecasts, alerts and warnings.

What would happen if KGOU lost CPB funding?

While KGOU would immediately seek to raise the $150,000 in lost CPB funds from donors and business sponsors, the loss of federal funding would very likely result in immediate and significant impacts on our ability to provide essential services, including production of local news and music programming, our ability to purchase national programming, and maintenance of our broadcast and digital infrastructure.

In addition, stations across the country rely on pooled resources from CPB including satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, music licensing, and development of educational programs and community-focused services. The entire network would be impacted in ways that would also impact KGOU.

What is KGOU doing to prepare for this possibility?

KGOU is preparing for this possibility on many fronts. We are in conversations with NPR, other public media stations and a national organization called Protect My Public Media to coordinate informational efforts and advocacy. We’ve met with Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation, and are developing a contingency plan for the potential loss of funding. And we’re keeping our members and audience informed about what’s going on and how you can help.

Why is public broadcasting needed when we can get news and content from so many sources?

Local public media stations provide critical information — always free of charge — to help people make informed decisions.

With the number of local journalists declining nationwide and increased division and isolation in our country, independent and nonprofit public media organizations like KGOU continue to provide a high level of service to communities. Public media abides by rigorous ethical standards to ensure our content cannot be influenced by commercial or political interests. In a time where anyone can post their opinion to social media, journalism grounded in rigorous fact-checking and high journalistic standards is essential to being a trustworthy source of news and information that is needed for educated citizenship.

How can I take action to advocate for continued support of public media?

First, we encourage you to financially support your public media station. You can contribute to KGOU through the red donate tab on this website, www.kgou.org.

Second, you can make your voice heard and learn more by visiting ProtectMyPublicMedia.org. Resources are available there to help you understand public media’s purpose and funding, and get engaged in various ways, including contacting members of Congress. sources to help you contact members of Congress and sign a petition.

Third, you can also tell your friends and family why public media is important and encourage them to listen to and support KGOU.

Local community support is KGOU’s largest and most stable source of funding, so continuing our public service will require your ongoing support. If you’re already a contributing member, thank you! If you’re not, or if you can give more generously, now is an excellent time to join or increase your support. Make your voice heard with a contribution at www.kgou.org.