Public Media Matters 

Since it was established in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, public media has faced threats of federal defunding. Following the 2024 general election, these threats to funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — the independent organization that stewards the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting — have renewed.  

There are multiple ways that threats to public media funding could materialize in 2025, in addition to the annual funding process. In an op-ed published November 20, 2024, in the Wall Street Journal  DOGE co-chairs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy noted that funding for the CPB is one of the areas of federal funding that they will seek to cut. Legislation has been drafted to do such, and threats could escalate to the state funding of Ohio’s public media organizations. 

To address these concerns with the urgency and transparency they deserve, PBS Western Reserve has compiled and addressed some FAQ, and provided resources and guidance for how supporters of public media may help protect PBS Western Reserve in the coming years.  

For additional inquiries, you may contact PBS Western Reserve at info@pbswesternreserve.org.