Addressing Comments About Defunding Public Media
1. “Public media is biased and leans politically left, violating its mandate for objectivity.”
Public media strives for balance and adheres to the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967's principles of fairness, balance and objectivity. PBS and NPR are consistently ranked among the most trusted news sources in the U.S., above both commercial broadcasters and cable networks. Ombudsmen at public media organizations review content to maintain high standards, addressing concerns of bias through transparent processes.
Sources: PBS Trust Survey, 2024, pp. 1-2, PBS Standards
2. “Public media is unnecessary because there are abundant private and digital alternatives.”
Public media provides unique, non-commercial content that serves educational and cultural needs unmet by other outlets. For example, each month, PBS reaches over 126 million people through television and 26 million people online. PBS reaches 89% of non-internet homes, 82% of lower-income homes, and 78% of rural homes. PBS also serves as a critical resource for early childhood education, reaching more children and parents of young children than any of the children’s TV networks. It ensures equitable access to high-quality programming, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
In Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, PBS Western Reserve airs 26,280 hours a year of commercial-free television on three broadcast services. With a signal that potentially reaches 3.3 million adults and more than 1.81 million households, we strive to provide content that educates, illuminates and inspires. Our active presence on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, allows us to engage with our audience in real time, broadening our reach and fostering a vibrant online community.
PBS Western Reserve is the station’s primary, high-definition broadcast service, offering a wide range of programs on subjects including science and nature; drama, art and music; how-tos, travel and adventure; history and biography; and news and public affairs. Additionally, the station airs 43 hours of children’s programming each week. We enjoy an excellent relationship with regional independent producers and serve as the premier television outlet for their work.
The organization also has two standard definition channels: Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2) and FNX (WNEO 45.3 / WEAO 49.3). Fusion offers a combination of arts and culture, public affairs, regional productions and BBC Worldwide programming. FNX features Native content from tribes across the United States and includes programming that directly connects with a vast minority and immigrant population.
In addition to educational and cultural offerings, PBS Western Reserve and Ohio’s other public media stations play a critical role during emergencies, providing life-saving information through news broadcasts and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The nation’s public media organizations proved instrumental during environmental disasters as recent as Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Should disaster strike Ohio, public media organizations like PBS Western Reserve will be an essential line of protection for vulnerable communities across Ohio, reaching more non-internet, lower-income and rural homes than commercial media.
Public media organizations also serve as a cornerstone of local communities by providing trusted news, educational content, and cultural programming that reflects and addresses community needs. It ensures equitable access to critical information and lifelong learning resources, fostering civic engagement and enhancing community identity. However, local media ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable, with significant declines in news coverage and public trust in commercial media. Public media's commitment to unbiased reporting, educational outreach, and amplifying local voices makes it an essential resource to counter these trends. Its role in sustaining local journalism, supporting underserved communities, and connecting audiences through shared experiences is more vital than ever to addressing gaps in news and information equity.
PBS Western Reserve is committed to bringing local stories of interest and importance to residents of Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Local Focus,Around Akron with Blue Green, Forum 360 and City Centric are a few examples of such programming.
We are proud of our legacy and our ability to adapt to changing viewer habits, and we remain committed to delivering content that resonates with the diverse interests and needs of our Northeast Ohio audience and beyond.
Sources: PBS Fast Facts; PBS’ Reach; Index of US Mainstream Media Ownership; PBS Western Reserve FY24 Community Impact Report;Northeast Ohio’s Local News and Information Ecosystem
3. “Taxpayer dollars should not fund public media because it should sustain itself through private funding.”
Federal funding, which represents about 15% of public media's budget, enables stations, especially in rural areas, to remain operational. For PBS Western Reserve, federal funding represents 21.74% of the total operating budget for fiscal year 2024. This funding serves as a catalyst, attracting private donations and state / local support, which accounts for 16% of the total operating budget--amplifying its impact. Cutting federal support could lead to closures of small and rural stations.
Sources: CPB FY 2024/2026 Appropriation Request and Justification; CPB Support for Rural Stations; Public Television Station and Programming Grants; PBS Western Reserve FY2024 Community Impact Report;Broadcast Educational Media Commission Subsidy by Station for FY2024 & FY2025
4. “Public media programs sometimes promote controversial views.”
Public media fosters dialogue by exploring diverse viewpoints. In fact, in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, congress declared that “expansion and development of public telecommunications and of diversity of its programming depend on freedom, imagination, and initiative on both local and national levels.” While controversial topics may arise, public media’s editorial guidelines ensure accuracy, fairness, and integrity. Independent ombudsmen and boards of directors oversee compliance with these standards, reinforcing public accountability.
Sources: PBS Editorial Standards and Policies; Ombudsman for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting;Journalistic Guidelines for Frontline;Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
5. “Public media represents an outdated model in the era of streaming and digital platforms.”
Public media complements digital platforms by making educational and cultural content widely accessible, regardless of broadband access or subscription fees. Programs like PBS KIDS and online educational tools support at-home learning for millions of families, particularly in underserved regions. Locally, PBS Western Reserve viewers streamed PBS KIDS content 8.4 million times in the first half of FY25.
Source: CPB FY 2024/2026 Appropriation Request and Justification, PBS Kids Local Analytics Dashboard
6. “The federal funding allocated to public media is wasteful and could be better spent.”
Federal funding for public media accounts for only $535 million of the federal government’s $6.8 trillion in outlays, but delivers significant societal value, including educational resources, emergency communications, and locally produced programming.
Federal funding is essential to the funding mix that supports public broadcasting. Public media is a public-private partnership in the best tradition of America's free enterprise system.
Federal funds, distributed through CPB to local stations, provide critical seed money and basic operating support. Stations leverage each $1 of federal funding to raise over $6 from other sources — including state and local governments, philanthropic foundations, private businesses, and universities — a tremendous return on the taxpayer investment.
For fiscal year 2025, PBS Western Reserve received $1,220,559 in federal funding, equating to 25 cents per person in our viewing area.
CPB, in addition to direct payment to public media stations, pays for the system's technical infrastructure, copyright and other fees, and makes major investments in national content from which all stations and the families they serve benefit.
Most importantly, the annual federal investment in public media assures universal access to public media's educational programming and public services for all Americans, as mandated by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
Sources: CPB.org; Congressional Budget Office; CPB FAQ
7. “Public media competes unfairly with private broadcasters using taxpayer money.”
Public media operates under a unique mandate to serve the public interest, focusing on educational and cultural enrichment, not profit. Unlike commercial broadcasters, public media reinvests in community-driven content, ensuring underserved communities receive valuable resources.
Sources: Public Broadcasting Act of 1967; CPB’s Federal Appropriation Request & Justification; About CPB
8. “Public media funding could lead to government control over its content.”
Editorial independence is essential to serving the public interest and preserving the public’s trust. Public media maintains editorial independence through a decentralized funding structure, robust governance and editorial standards. Through its editorial standards, PBS strives to ensure that distributed content is free of undue influence from third-party funders, political interests, and other outside forces. Federal support is allocated through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), an independent agency designed to shield content decisions from political influence. As such, CPB does not produce or distribute programs, nor does it own, control, oversee, or operate any broadcast stations.
Sources: PBS Standards; CPB FAQ; Letter to Senator Ted Cruz May 9 2024
9. “Public media has outlived its relevance in a competitive media landscape.”
Public broadcasting has largely achieved the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967's “universal service” mandate — to provide all Americans with free, over-the-air access to public broadcasting's programming and services. Today, nearly 99 percent of the U.S. population can access public broadcasting's over-the-air signals. This reach could not have been achieved without significant federal investment in rural communities throughout the country. Public media remains vital in its service to communities, offering free, high-quality educational resources and local storytelling. In areas with limited commercial investment, public media often provides the only source of locally produced news and cultural programming.
The widespread access to public media’s over-the-air signals laid the groundwork for innovative, reliable and vital public safety communications in partnership with federal, state and local authorities. Local public media stations partner with local first responders to offer datacasting services that use the broadcast spectrum to help first responders send critical information and videos to each other during times of crisis. In addition to the EAS, public media partners with FEMA in the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system that enables cell subscribers to receive geo-targeted text messages in the event of an emergency — reaching them wherever they are in times of crisis. These lifesaving services, provided by local public television stations to all Americans, are only possible because of the federal funding provided through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Source: CPB: About Public Media; NEXTGEN Broadcasting Successfully Used to Keep Americans Safe During Marine Corps Marathon; FEMA, IPAWS – Broadcast and Wireless Providers
10. “Public media doesn't serve enough people to justify federal funding.”
Public media reaches over 120 million Americans each month, providing critical services like PBS Kids for children’s education, trusted news from NPR, and local productions that celebrate regional cultures and histories. Each month, more than 36 million people watch their local PBS stations, more than 16 million viewers watch video on PBS’s site and apps, and over 53 million fans enjoy PBS Digital Studios and other content on YouTube. Over the course of a year, 58% of all U.S. television households – more than 130 million people – watch PBS via traditional television. PBS KIDS averages 15.5 million monthly users and 345 million monthly streams across PBS KIDS’ digital platforms. PBS stations reach more children, and more parents of young children, than any of the children’s TV networks.
Source: PBS Foundation Fast Facts
