Hi, Neighbor. Nine PBS is still here.
You may have heard: now that federal funding for public media has been rescinded, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will close by October 1. What does that mean? And how will that impact us in St. Louis?
Here’s how it worked:
- CPB: The private non-profit corporation that distributed federal funds to PBS, NPR and local public media stations nationwide for more than 60 years.
- PBS: The Public Broadcasting Service, a national non-profit organization working in partnership with 350 local member stations, distributing beloved shows like PBS News Hour, NOVA, Daniel Tiger, Masterpiece, and more nationwide.
- Nine PBS (your local station): The independent non-profit organization that brings PBS to the St. Louis region, produces local programs like Donnybrook and Living St. Louis, and creates educational resources for our community every day.
At Nine PBS, federal funding allocated by CPB amounted to 13%, or $1.8 million, of our yearly budget. For smaller stations more reliant on these funds, especially those serving rural and minority populations, these cuts will be felt even harder.
With the loss of federal funding, CPB will close its doors, but PBS and Nine PBS are still here—and still committed to serving our communities.
This marks a major shift for public media, but one thing is certain: our future depends on our local communities. It depends on viewers like you.
Together, we can ensure our region continues to have the information, educational content, and community connections only public media provide.
Learn more about our critical role in the community at ninepbs.org/whynine.
And if you want to stay involved in all the amazing work we do, now is a great time to invest in our future. Nine PBS is your station, and we thank you for fighting for it.