Congress Passes $535 Million in Funding for Public Media

RADIO ONLINE | Sunday, March 24, 2024

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

The U.S. House and Senate passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 providing $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in Fiscal Year 2026, upholding the two-year advance appropriation for public media. Further, for FY 2024, the bill provides $60 million for the public media interconnection system and digital infrastructure, $31 million for the Ready To Learn program at the Department of Education and $40 million for the Next Generation Warning System grant program at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in astatement, "We appreciate the House and Senate's affirmation 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.

"CPB stewards these taxpayer dollars with care, making strategic investments in educational research, public safety, and innovative technology, ensuring public media connects to audiences in all the ways they choose to access media.

"We are especially grateful that Congress has recognized the importance of CPB's two-year advance appropriation, providing a firewall that keeps public media nonpartisan and independent."