CPB to Issue Final Community Service Grant Payments

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 22, 2025 | 2:06pm CT

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will distribute $7.1 million in remaining Community Service Grant (CSG) funds to eligible local public radio and television stations, marking what could be the last round of federal support for public media. Without new appropriations, these payments will conclude more than five decades of foundational funding that has sustained 1,500 stations nationwide.

"Local public media stations are rooted in and responsive to the information and education needs of the communities they serve," said CPB Chief Operating Officer Kathy Merritt. "But the public media neighborhood has been hard hit because of the loss of federal funding."

Earlier this year, CPB allocated $388.35 million in fiscal year 2025 CSG payments, but a small balance remained from unawarded or returned funds. Typically, those funds would roll over into the following fiscal year. However, the Rescissions Act of 2025 eliminated already appropriated funding for public broadcasting in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. With no new federal dollars forthcoming, CPB is winding down operations and will disburse the remaining funds in the coming days.

Under the distribution plan, each public television grantee will receive $15,680. Radio grantees will receive between $5,370 and $26,582, depending on station size, coverage, and service obligations. These amounts represent only a fraction of what stations traditionally receive in annual CSG funding.

The end of federal appropriations has already forced many public media outlets to reduce staff, cut local programming, scale back educational partnerships, and curtail journalism efforts. CPB officials warn the impact will be most severe in small towns, rural areas, and tribal communities -- places where public broadcasting has long served as a vital source of information, education, and community connection.