Public Media Bridge Fund Announces Emergency Grant Programs
Programs designed to help restore and secure local public media service in the wake of immediate and unforeseen disruption
January 29, 2026 – The Public Media Bridge Fund (Bridge Fund) today announced the launch of two new emergency grant programs. The Disaster Recovery Program and the Emergency Restructuring Program are designed to help restore and secure local public media service in the wake of immediate and unforeseen disruptions.
“We know that local public media organizations play an essential role in informing and connecting communities, particularly in moments of crisis,” said Allie Vanyur, Program Officer at the Public Media Bridge Fund. “The aim of our emergency grant programs is to ensure that these critical services can and will continue, even in the face of unprecedented circumstances.”
Disaster Recovery Program
The Disaster Recovery Program is intended for local public media organizations that have experienced significant disruptions to service and/or equipment damage caused directly by severe weather or other major external incidents. The program will provide one-time, rapid response financial assistance up to $100,000 to help stations restore service, repair or replace essential equipment, cover temporary operating costs, and address urgent communication needs.
Program eligibility is limited to FCC-licensed noncommercial public radio or television stations that previously qualified for Community Service Grants (CSG) from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as of September 30, 2025, or are a current member of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB). Stations must also provide a unique local service, be located within a region affected by a severe weather event or other qualifying emergency, and demonstrate that they do not have the capital on hand required to restore service in a timely manner.
Qualifying organizations can review the program guidelines and application questions. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Emergency Restructuring Program
The Emergency Restructuring Program is designed for stations that have experienced, or are at imminent risk of experiencing, a sudden, external event — such as an institutional sale of a license or loss of a significant subsidy — and do not have the ability to maintain or restore service to their communities in a timely manner. The program will provide rapid-response access to pro bono advisory services — including legal, financial, and strategic guidance — and limited financial assistance to help a community prevent imminent service loss.
The Emergency Restructuring Program is intended to stabilize essential public media service to communities with limited alternatives for trusted local content, where short-term assistance can meaningfully protect continued access to service. This program is not designed to replace ongoing revenue or subsidies, address long-standing financial challenges, or support projects that have been completed or are well-funded. Instead, it will provide a pathway to secure public media service in the wake of immediate and unforeseen disruption.
To qualify for funding, the affected station must be an FCC-licensed noncommercial public radio or television station that either qualified for a CSG from CPB as of September 30, 2025, or is a current member of the NFCB. The full program guidelines, eligibility criteria, and application process can be found here. As with the Disaster Recovery Program, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Created in response to the rescission of federal funding, the Public Media Bridge Fund is a strategic philanthropic initiative designed to provide support to public media stations navigating financial distress or operational transition. The Bridge Fund supports stations facing immediate funding gaps, unexpected revenue shifts, or infrastructural challenges that threaten their ability to continue to serve their communities. The announcement of these programs follows the Bridge Fund’s initial round of stabilization grants last month, which awarded $26 million across 74 organizations operating 186 radio and television stations and reaching 30 million people in communities nationwide.
“Our emergency grant programs are an extension of the Bridge Fund’s core mission to help guide public media through a crisis moment to a more sustainable and impactful future,” said Erik Langner, Executive Director of the Public Media Bridge Fund. “By supporting local stations navigating unforeseen disruptions — whether that’s a natural disaster or a sudden license divestiture — the Bridge Fund’s emergency grant programs will help ensure that all communities have access to local public media that keeps them safe, informed, and connected.”
