Station Resources

The Public Media Bridge Fund exists to help secure local public media service—especially in rural and underserved communities where the risks are greatest. This page gathers key information, tools, and updates for stations receiving or seeking support.

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Securing Local Service

The Bridge Fund provides timely financial and strategic support to help stations navigate this period of transition following the elimination of CPB funding. Our goal is simple: to keep essential local service on the air and help organizations strengthen their long-term sustainability.

Below you’ll find resources, information sessions, and materials to support your station throughout the process.

RESOURCES

Key Resources

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Grant Information

Information about Emergency Grants

Guidance for local stations on eligibility, requirements, and how to prepare a strong application for support.

Grant Information

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FAQs

Find answers to common questions about the Bridge Fund

Frequently Asked Questions

Webinar

Launching the Public Media Bridge Fund

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STATION GRANTS

Emergency Grant Programs

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Disaster Recovery Program

The Disaster Recovery Program provides rapid, short-term support to local public media stations facing immediate disruption from natural disasters or other unforeseen crises. These grants help stabilize essential operations so stations can remain on the air and continue serving their communities during recovery.

The Disaster Recovery Program provides rapid response, one-time financial assistance to public media organizations whose ability to deliver essential service has been disrupted due to a force majeure-type event (severe weather, natural disasters, etc.)
The Disaster Recovery Program is intended for stations that have experienced significant disruptions to service and/or equipment damage caused directly by severe weather or other major external incidents and do not have available resources to quickly restore service to their communities.
Funding is intended to help stations restore service, repair or replace essential equipment, cover temporary operating costs, and address urgent community communication needs.
Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $100,000.
Program eligibility is limited to FCC-licensed noncommercial public radio or television stations that:
- Qualified for Community Service Grants (CSG) from CPB as of September 30, 2025, or are a current member of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB);
- Provide a unique local service (geographic coverage and/or format);
- Are located in — or demonstrate operational impact from — a severe weather event or other qualifying emergency;
- And do not have the liquid capital necessary to restore service in a timely manner.
Eligible stations affected by a qualifying emergency can submit a brief application here.
You can also review the program guidelines and preview the application questions.

Program Guidelines

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Submit an Application

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Emergency Restructuring Program

The Emergency Restructuring Program supports public media stations that have experienced a sudden, external loss of support and/or revenue and are unable to restore service in a timely manner. Through pro bono advisory services and limited financial assistance, the Bridge Fund helps stations stabilize operations and manage complex transitions without interrupting local public media service.

The Public Media Bridge Fund’s Emergency Restructuring Program provides rapid-response access to pro bono advisory services and limited financial assistance to help a community prevent service loss, stabilize operations, and quickly restructure a public media organization or other service provider.
The Public Media Bridge Fund’s Emergency Restructuring Program is intended for stations that have experienced a sudden, external loss of support and/or revenue (e.g., state/university cuts, license divestment, loss of a key institutional contract) and do not have the ability to restore service to their communities in a timely manner.
The Bridge Fund team will work with the public media organization and other relevant entities to determine potential paths forward to secure local service. Support will include a rapid response, such as structuring a merger, entering shared services agreements, or reconfiguring the station’s operating model.
The entity affected by the unexpected event must be an FCC-licensed noncommercial public radio or television station that:
- Qualified for Community Service Grants (CSG) from CPB as of September 30, 2025, or is a current member of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB);
- Demonstrates a sudden, unexpected loss of significant funding, license divestiture, or other extreme external circumstance that threatens continued service;
- Is unable to restore service to their community in a timely manner;
- Provides a unique local service (geographic coverage and/or format);
- Is open to a restructuring, partnership, or merger aligned with long-term sustainability;
- And understands that Bridge Fund support would be catalytic and time-limited, not an ongoing operational replacement.
Stations, license holders, or other informed stakeholders should email bridgefund@publicmedia.co to alert Bridge Fund staff of the sudden event.
You can also review the full program guidelines here.