Public Media Bridge Fund Awards $26 Million in Stabilization Grants for At-Risk Public Media Stations
More than 70 grantees—operating over 180 radio and television stations— nationwide will receive crucial funding in first wave of grants designed to sustain vital local news and cultural programming
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Boulder, CO, December 9, 2025 – The Public Media Bridge Fund (Bridge Fund) today announced its initial round of stabilization grants exclusively for local public media, totaling $26 million across 74 organizations operating 186 radio and television stations and reaching 30 million people in communities nationwide that rely on public broadcasting, from Sitka, Alaska to Orangeburg, South Carolina, and everywhere in between. This first wave of emergency funding—focused on stations facing the greatest financial challenges—will help ensure the continuation of local news, civic information, cultural programming, and emergency alerts. The Public Media Bridge Fund is a strategic philanthropic initiative by the nonpartisan nonprofit organization Public Media Company (PMC), which has, for more than 20 years, helped local public and independent media organizations expand their service and impact, strengthen their communities, and secure their futures.
PMC projects that, following the rescission of approximately $600 million in annual Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funding earlier this year, more than 115 stations are likely to close by mid-2026 without immediate aid. These stations primarily serve rural and underserved areas and often operate as the only outlet for local news and storytelling for these communities.
The organizations receiving Bridge Fund grants face an acute funding gap in the next six months that threatens their ability to continue operations. Most of these stations relied on CPB for more than 25% of their annual operating revenue, leaving them vulnerable following the funding cuts earlier this year. In 2026, the Bridge Fund will engage directly with these organizations to guide them in developing and adapting to new operating models that secure their future and enable them to remain a critical resource in their communities.
“With this initial round of funding, our goal was to present each grantee with a foothold to stabilize their infrastructure and continue their vital services. Thanks to the rapid and generous response of philanthropic leaders across the U.S., we’ve been able to raise crucial funds and quickly get them into the hands of the stations that need them the most,” said Tim Isgitt, CEO of Public Media Company. “These grants not only take another step forward in the collaborative effort to respond to a crisis but also create an opportunity to develop a sustainable future for public media that builds stronger, more engaged, and more connected communities.”
Launched in August 2025 in direct response to the elimination of federal CPB funding, the Public Media Bridge Fund has raised more than $60 million towards its $100 million goal from a wide range of contributors, from individuals to major grants from foundations including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and The Dolby Family.
The Bridge Fund held an open call for grant applications in fall 2025 and selected recipient stations through an evaluation based on rigorously developed criteria that ensured the service provided by each grantee to its region is unique, non-duplicative, and essential to local civic information.
This initial wave of grants will be followed by additional funding opportunities for local public media organizations as the Bridge Fund secures additional philanthropic commitments. Future grantmaking will prioritize projects that advance sustainable business models and broaden services to communities.
“Public television and radio have provided essential services to rural and underserved communities for decades, and generate trust, connectivity, and belonging for their audiences,” said Erik Langner, Executive Director of the Public Media Bridge Fund. “The Bridge Fund works alongside stations to help them stabilize during this unprecedented crisis, and, ultimately, to help them create pathways to a more sustainable future.”
