Dear John,
We believe the test of friendship is seeing who stands beside you during times of adversity. And if anything proves this truism, it’s the grassroots support of KQED community members like you. Over and over again, we’ve seen our region come together and stand up for public broadcasting.
That’s why we’re writing to tell you about the impact you’ve made over the past month and the challenges that are still ahead for public media.

Update on current challenges

On March 6, Protect My Public Media Day rallied support for public media across the country.
This is how our community responded:

→ Lawmakers received more than 100,000 calls and emails.
→ Our community raised more than $245,000 (and counting).
→ 40% of the donations came from donors who had not given in many years or were making their first gift!

On March 13, Congress passed a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. This included funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for the next period (through FY27), funds for interconnection and infrastructure as well as the Next Generation Warning System at FEMA.
On March 26, the CEOs of NPR and PBS testified before the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency to demonstrate the value of the public media network, which serves 99% of the nation’s population with free access to information. It was a hearing intent on defunding and discrediting public media, limiting journalistic independence and threatening local reporting for KQED and its fellow stations nationwide.

Looking ahead

The next few weeks and months will be pivotal in protecting public media. Ripples from the Congressional hearing continue to be felt as part of a turbulent battle over federal funding for public media. We anticipate this discussion to play out heatedly as Congress enters its next budget year. The White House has also made it known they will attempt to claw back funds already approved by Congress. Additionally, the FCC investigation into long-held public media policies and practices is ongoing.
While these are the most severe threats to public broadcasting to date, they will not be the last. And this is not the first time public broadcasting has faced calls for defunding. Each time, our community has come together to defend the importance of free, independent public media. Free speech and journalistic integrity are at stake, and we’re grateful to have you as our partner during this fight.
“I’ve been a supporter of KQED off & on for years, and due to the current federal threats to public broadcasting it is imperative now more than ever to support fact-based, unbiased local, national and international news. Personally, I love watching the PBS News Hour and listening to Fresh Air, Forum and The California Report. Thank you for never compromising on your values and quality of programming!” –Sherisse B. in San Jose

Stay involved

Your voice and support play a critical role in protecting and sustaining KQED. That’s why we need to act as a united community to protect public media. Together, we can prevail over the chaos. We are strong because you’re with us.
If you haven’t done so already, please sign up for email alerts at protectmypublicmedia.org.