Bridge Fund - Public Media Company

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As a consequence, Public Media Company projects that as many at 115 stations, collectively serving 43 million Americans, are likely to close by mid-2026. These stations primarily serve rural and underserved areas, where they are often a rare source of local news and connectivity. Should these stations close, our entire public media system will be destabilized.

Created in response, the Public Media Bridge Fund is a pooled philanthropic fund designed to guide the public media system through a crisis moment to a more sustainable and impactful future.

America’s public media system is a network of over 550 locally governed media organizations that collectively reach 99% of the country. This system represents almost 60 years and tens of billions of dollars of public and private investment. As a result, communities across America enjoy:

Trusted local programming that informs and connects communities, as well as educational and cultural content from across the country and around the world.
A nationwide system of public safety and emergency services.
More than 4,400 local journalists providing news and public affairs content for and about the communities they serve.

The Public Media Bridge Fund cannot replace CPB, nor can it fully offset the negative impacts of this sweeping action. Organizations will cut budgets; jobs will be lost; services will be diminished.

However, in this vulnerable moment, a fully funded and fast-acting Bridge Fund can:

Secure local service in as many at-risk communities as possible.
Protect vulnerable infrastructure – towers and spectrum – so it remains within local, nonprofit control and in service to local community needs aligned with the public media mission.
Assist local organizations as they transition to more sustainable operating models that maximize their value within local communities.
Pursue system-level opportunities for efficiency and new revenue generation.
Help stabilize public media’s national network.

To realize these objectives, Public Media Company, in partnership with a network of national foundations, is raising $100 million over a two-year horizon.

In our initial grant making cycle, the Public Media Bridge Fund will prioritize securing service in communities facing the greatest risk of station closures. These Stabilization Grants will be distributed starting in early December.

In subsequent grant making cycles, the Bridge Fund will prioritize strategic investments that help at-risk public media organizations transition to sustainable operating models while maximizing their capacity to serve and connect local communities.

The Public Media Bridge Fund is made possible by rapid and generous response of philanthropic leaders across America. We are deeply grateful for their early commitment to protecting public media at this critical moment. An overview of our lead funders is available here.

If you share our belief in the power of public media to inform, educate, and inspire communities, please consider supporting your local station. If you are interested in supporting the work of the Public Media Bridge Fund, please consider making a donation below.

To learn more, review our Bridge Fund 101 deck or contact Colin Hamilton at colin@publicmedia.co.