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How federal funding supports KUOW — and why it’s essential

On June 3, the White House formally requested that Congress claw-back $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting that was approved earlier this year through a process known as rescission. Both chambers will now need to vote on this request in order for it to become law.

This is latest escalation in the Trump Administration’s repeated attempts to undermine the mission and independence of public media. If this rescission request is approved and Congress takes back funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), local public media outlets across the country, including KUOW, stand to lose critical support fast.

US Capitol

Call Congress to Learn More

Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your senator or representative's office. You can also find direct phone numbers at the bottom of this page.

What to know about federal funding and public media

  • The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 authorized federal funding for public radio and television broadcasting for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes. Today, public media reaches nearly 99% of the United States, including the most remote communities, with high-quality, non-commercial programming and services. The average cost per American for public broadcasting funding each year is $1.60.
  • The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is an independent non-profit tasked with distributing appropriated federal funds to local stations. CPB prioritizes funding for public media organizations serving rural and remote communities. Nearly half of the 544 radio and television stations who receive CPB funding are considered rural.
  • In addition to direct support for stations’ operating costs, CPB also funds vital infrastructure for public media organizations including satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, music licensing, educational program development, and more.

What’s at stake for KUOW

Approximately 5% of KUOW’s annual revenue comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—$1,004,089 in our latest fiscal year. We report on our revenue sources in our annual impact report.

If the federal government were to cut funding for public media, KUOW would immediately need to raise $1.4 M dollars to replace expected funds from the CPB and the cost of public media infrastructure CPB provides—and continue to do so annually until funding is restored or we are forced to make sufficient spending cuts to offset the loss of funds.

Beyond our operating expenses, the loss of CPB funding would have strong ripple effects across the public media system, especially for small, rural stations whose budgets rely more heavily on federal support.

What you can do to support public media

Make a Gift

While the potential loss of CPB funding poses a very real threat, the vast majority of KUOW’s funding still comes from individual contributors. Consider becoming a KUOW member or upgrading your support.

Learn More

Reach out to the offices of your representatives or senators to stay informed on the issue.

SENATE

  • Maria Cantwell (202) 224-3441
  • Patty Murray (202) 224-2621

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  • 1st district: Suzan DelBene (202) 225-6311
  • 2nd district: Rick Larsen (202) 225-2605
  • 3rd district: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (202) 225-3536
  • 4th district: Dan Newhouse (202) 225-5816
  • 5th district: Michael Baumgartner (202) 225-2006
  • 6th district: Emily Randall (202) 225-5916
  • 7th district: Pramila Jayapal (202) 225-3106
  • 8th district: Kim Schrier (202) 225-7761
  • 9th district: Adam Smith (202) 225-8901
  • 10th district: Marilyn Strickland (202) 225-9740

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