In a sweeping budget rollback passed by both houses of Congress, all federal funding
for public media has officially been rescinded, including money already appropriated
through 2027. This decision eliminates $537 million in support for the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting (CPB), directly impacting the future operations of local public
media stations nationwide.
For Houston Public Media, the loss amounts to $2.2 million annually, or nearly 10%
of its annual operating budget.
In response, Houston Public Media has launched the Resiliency Fund, a $4.4 million campaign to offset the losses over the next two years and safeguard the station’s mission-driven services, including trusted journalism, educational programming and emergency broadcast alerts.
“This is a defining moment. We are pressing forward and standing strong in our commitment to serve the people of Greater Houston with integrity, clarity and purpose. Our community helped build Houston Public Media, and the Resiliency Fund is how we meet this moment together.”
Josh Adams, associate vice president and general manager of Houston Public Media.
Houston Public Media has always operated leanly, relying on a combination of community donations, underwriting and federal support. With the loss of CPB funds, sustaining the quality news, information and programming that the community relies on now depends on individual giving and local partnerships.
“Public media was created to serve communities first, and that hasn’t changed,” said Lynne Cook, Houston Public Media’s chief development officer. “Whether it’s early education content, live storm coverage or reporting on your local school board, the real impact of these cuts will be felt all across our region. We’re asking the community to help preserve something they already own.”
Established in 1950, Houston Public Media serves an audience of more than 2.7 million monthly users across its TV, radio and digital platforms. The Resiliency Fund speaks directly to Houstonians—educators, families, commuters, seniors, students, and others who rely on public media daily.
To learn more or contribute to the Resiliency Fund, visit houstonpublicmedia.org/resiliency.