Local Public Media Service Is Essential
Millions of Americans trust local public media as a reliable source of local information, inspiration, educational services, and for connection to their communities. The Public Media Bridge Fund is helping stations secure their future and enhance their service to communities.
Our Impact So Far
Initial grants are helping secure local public media service in communities across the country — with more support on the way.
$26M
Distributed
30M
People Served
74
Grantee Organizations
186
Stations Secured
WHAT THE BRIDGE FUND DOESThe Bridge Fund is guiding local public media through a crisis moment to a more sustainable
and impactful future.
Three ways we make a difference:
Stabilize stations Rapid response funding and advisory support to help organizations weather sudden financial shocks.
Sustain local impact Supporting new models, partnerships, and strategies that keep public media strong for the long run.
Transform service Investing in local engagement and strengthening the essential services communities rely on.
Local public media organizations connect, inform, and inspire communities. They build trust and support democracy.
WHY LOCAL PUBLIC MEDIA MATTERS-
Trusted journalism people rely on
Local reporters who understand the communities they serve and deliver fact-based, nonpartisan information.
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Stronger civic life and local connection
Public media brings people together across divides with shared stories, cultural programming, and local perspectives.
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Essential local stories
From dense cities to remote rural towns, public media is often the only source of consistent local information in regions overlooked by commercial media.
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Life-saving emergency alerts
Stations provide 24/7 emergency broadcasting—especially vital during storms, fires, outages, and disasters.
SEE HOW LOCAL STATIONS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCELocal stations. Real communities. Critical impact.
Behind every station we support is a community that depends on public media for information, connection, and a sense of belonging.
KSYS-TV Southern Oregon PBS - Medford, OR
KFSK-FM Community Radio - Petersburg, AK
WJFF-FM Radio Catskill 90.5 FM - Jeffersonville, NY
KGLT-FM Southwest Montana - Bozeman, MT
KHNS-FM - Haines, Klukwan and Skagway, AK
KSRQ-FM, Pioneer 90.1 Radio - Thief River Falls, MN
KTNA-FM 88.9 FM - Community Radio for the Susitna Valley - Talkeetna, AK
WNIN-TV Channel 9 - Evansville, IN
In the News
National coverage is helping shine a light on what’s at stake for local public media.
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![A light orange building is pictured, with a red roof and the logo for radio station KRZA is pictured against a blue sky backdrop and a wood picket fence in the foreground.]()
A ‘Bridge Fund’ Buys Time for Public Media — But It May Not Be Enough
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Public Radio Stabilized By Emergency Grants As Post-CPB Era Begins
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![Radio host wearing headphones speaks into microphone in broadcast studio visible through wooden door with glass window, 'ON AIR' sign lit above door]()
Public Media Holds Its Apocalypse at Bay, for Now
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![Television host sitting at desk with a graphic of the United States map and radio towers labeled 'Public Media' on a screen behind him.]()
Public Media: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
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![A map of the United States filled with scattered hundred-dollar bills.]()
Public Media Bridge Fund announces initial round of grants
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![A woman in a black turtleneck speaking into a professional microphone in a radio studio with soundproofing foam, a computer monitor, and audio equipment.]()
The Race to Rescue PBS and NPR Stations
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![A person in a beige shirt recording in a professional home studio, wearing large over-ear headphones, sitting at a desk with a microphone, and writing in a notebook.]()
How philanthropic organizations are working to support smaller public radio stations
