Public Media: Our Mission Continues

1. Donate to Nebraska Public Media
   Your source for trusted news, inspiring stories and educational programs is Nebraska Public Media. We’ve been with you for generations, but the elimination of nearly $4 million in annual federal funding puts the essential and valued services you enjoy at risk.. Thank you for supporting our work across the state.
   
   To keep public media strong for every Nebraskan, we’ve set a goal to raise $2 million in additional membership support by Dec. 31, 2025. Your gift – in any amount — will help us reach our Sustain What Matters campaign goal.
   
   Donations from our viewers and listeners supplement appropriations from the State of Nebraska and the University of Nebraska, creating a unique public media partnership. As we work to manage the elimination of $4 million in federal funding, gifts from both our dedicated community of supporters and new members are critical.
   
   When you join as a Sustaining Star member and make a regular monthly donation, you are providing dependable financial support while enjoying the convenience of automatic renewal of your membership and all its associated benefits. Thank you for sustaining our work across the state!
   
   
2. Share your love for Nebraska Public Media with your friends and neighbors.
   Follow Nebraska Public Media and share our posts. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Talk about your favorite public media services and shows using #ProtectMyPublicMedia and #ViewersLikeMe.

The loss of $1.1 billion in previously appropriated federal funding for public media is having significant impacts on Nebraska Public Media and the long-term health of the national public system that serves nearly 99% of the country.

The approved request eliminated approximately 14% of Nebraska Public Media’s operating budget, or about $4 million annually. We are carefully evaluating how best to manage this loss of funding. Our focus is on preserving, to the fullest extent possible, the programs and services Nebraskans rely on every day. However, this action will lead to changes in the coming months.

Nationwide, many small and rural stations are more dependent on federal funding. We anticipate some stations may close, which would have a devastating impact on universal access to educational resources and public safety and emergency alerts, the core mission of public media.

We also anticipate there will be reductions in the national programming provided to local stations by PBS, NPR and other public media distributors in the coming months.

There will be an opportunity to restore funding later this year through the Congressional appropriations process. We will continue to share the tremendous value of the services we provide to Nebraskans, and the vital role public media plays in communities across the country, in hopes that federal funding for public media will be restored.

On August 1, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that it would begin the process of ceasing operations as a result of the rescission package which eliminated all federal funding for public media. The closure is scheduled for October 1.

Here is how CPB interacted with PBS, NPR and local stations:

• CPB: The private nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 to receive and distribute federal funds to PBS, NPR and local public media stations nationwide for nearly 60 years.
• PBS: The Public Broadcasting Service, a national nonprofit media organization working in partnership with 350 independent, locally owned member stations, distributing shows like PBS News Hour, NOVA, Daniel Tiger, Masterpiece, and more nationwide.
• NPR: National Public Radio, a national nonprofit media organization that produces and distributes news and cultural programming to a network of more than 1,000 independent, locally owned public radio stations across the United States. NPR shows include Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and Fresh Air.
• Nebraska Public Media: The independent, locally owned nonprofit organization that serves as Nebraska's statewide public television and radio network. Nebraska Public Media produces local programs like Nebraska Stories, What If..., Big Red Wrap-Up and Friday LIVE; provides a statewide newsroom along with gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Nebraska Legislature; offers more than 200 hours of live local sports each year; creates educational resources for children, families and educators; and provides live-saving public safety alerts for all Nebraskans.

Nebraska Public Media received nearly $4 million, or about 14.4% of our FY24-25 budget, from the federal government through CPB. For smaller stations more reliant on these funds, especially those serving rural areas in other states, these cuts will be felt even harder. 

With the loss of federal funding, CPB will close its doors, but PBS, NPR and Nebraska Public Media are still here.

CPB's closure solidifies that Nebraska Public Media needs its community of supporters now more than ever to continue providing trusted, valued and essential programming and services for all Nebraskans.

Our focus is on preserving, to the fullest extent possible, the programs and services Nebraskans rely on every day. You may not see immediate changes, but as the effects of the elimination of federal funding ripple through the entire public media system, there will likely be noticeable adjustments.

We are carefully monitoring the situation, but PBS, NPR and Nebraska Public Media are still here – committed to serving our dedicated viewers and listeners. We know your source for trusted news, local sports, inspiring stories, educational programs and cultural connections is Nebraska Public Media. We’ve been with you for generations, but the elimination of nearly $4 million in annual federal funding puts the essential and valued services you enjoy at risk.

To keep public media strong for every Nebraskan, we’ve set a goal to raise $2 million in additional pledges by Dec. 31, 2025. Your gi­ft — in any amount — will help Sustain What Matters. Gifts from both our dedicated community of supporters and new members are critical.

Public media stations currently cover nearly 99% of the country. The loss of federal funding puts universal access—the core mission of public media since 1967 at risk.

Many small and predominantly rural stations relied heavily on federal dollars to provide both the local and national services that people love, while also leveraging broadcast infrastructure for essential public safety services. The elimination of federal funding is devastating and will likely cause some stations to close, creating gaps in media coverage and the ability to keep the country safe.

Federal dollars also power valued PBS KIDS programming and educational resources provided through PBS LearningMedia. Losing federal funds jeopardizes access for the children, parents and educators who rely on these services.

Nebraska Public Media’s revenue sources are public funds from the State of Nebraska and University of Nebraska appropriations; private funds from individual donations, grants, contracts and underwriting; and self-generated funds. Like all other public media stations across the country, all of our federal funding has been eliminated.

There will be an opportunity to restore federal support of public media later this year through the Congressional appropriations process. Nebraska Public Media will continue to share the tremendous value of the services we provide Nebraskans, and the vital role public media plays in communities across the country, in hopes that federal funding for public media will be restored.

The U.S. Department of Education terminated the 2020-2025 Ready To Learn grant, which funded the development of PBS KIDS programming and educational resources, including PBS KIDS series such as Super Why, Odd Squad, Between the Lions and more recently Work It Out Wombats and Molly of Denali.

Ready To Learn was 30-year partnership between the Department of Education, PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting designed to prepare kids for success in school and life. Its free, universally accessible, proven educational content served the more than 50 percent of U.S. kids who don’t attend preschool, particularly focusing on rural, low-income and multilingual communities.

In Nebraska, Ready To Learn grant funds served as the foundation of support for our early childhood initiatives. Ready To Learn supported learning neighborhoods in Fremont developed in partnership with local organizations that created connections, built on the community’s strengths and increased literacy. It also supported families and gave needed resources to early childhood educators. We had plans to take this model statewide with grant funds that have now been eliminated. Without consistent federal funding, our education work across the state will look different.

Federal dollars were essential for local public media stations - supporting our ability to provide all Americans in communities across the country with public safety partnerships, educational services and homegrown programming, everywhere, every day, for free.

For over two decades, the American public ranked public broadcasting as one of the best investments by the federal government. Federal funding of public media amounted to less than 0.01% of the total federal budget, about $1.60 per person per year. Public media stations previously covered nearly 99% of the country.

• Public media is as a safety net, addressing gaps where for-profit outlets cannot operate sustainably, such as in rural and underserved areas.
• More than 70% of federal funds went directly to local stations. As trusted community partners, local stations used the federal investment to provide essential local public services in public safety and education and address unique local needs.
• Local stations leveraged each $1 of federal funding to raise nearly $7 from other sources in a highly efficient public-private partnership.

Here in Nebraska, we are still committed to investing in local journalism and offering gavel-to-gavel coverage of the state legislature; devoting more than 200 hours per year to broadcasting local sports; producing shows that elevate and celebrate Nebraska’s music, culture, history and ingenuity; developing excellent education programming for children, parents and educators; and providing life-saving emergency alerts and public safety infrastructure.

Last night, we lost a major battle. The House of Representatives gave final approval to an amended rescission package that claws back previously approved Congressional funding for public media. That’s a loss of nearly $4 million annually for Nebraska Public Media.

To everyone who spoke up, shared their stories and reminded others why public media matters: thank you. Your passion inspires our work.

This vote may be behind us, but our work is just beginning. We need your help. The loss of federal funding makes us more dependent on our dedicated community of supporters.

Rest assured, we are not giving up. Later this year, the annual appropriations process in Congress offers an opportunity to restore federal funding for public media. We will continue to demonstrate the value of our service to Nebraskans, and the vital role public media plays in communities nationwide.

You can stay connected on this issue by bookmarking this page, NebraskaPublicMedia.org/funding, or through Protect My Public Media.

This outcome does not change who we are. We are strong, resilient and focused on what matters: providing trusted, valued and essential programming and services that educate and enlighten all Nebraskans—just as we have for more than 70 years.

Sincerely,

Stacey Decker
General Manager/CEO

Federal funding for public media still hangs in the balance. The Senate has passed an amended rescission package eliminating all federal support for public media for the next two years. It must now go back to the House for final approval by midnight tomorrow, Friday, July 18.

You may remember that the final tally was very close, 214 to 212, when the House first voted in mid-June to claw back already-appropriated federal funds for public media.

There is still time to prevent these cuts. You can make a difference. Visit Protect My Public Media now. 

What’s at stake is nearly 16% of our operating budget, nearly $4 million annually that underpins our statewide emergency communications, educational programming, local journalism, and award-winning coverage of Nebraska’s history, culture and sports. 

Every program you love, every alert you count on and every story that inspires you is, in some way, supported by federal funding.  

Federal investment in public media is approximately $1.60 per person, per year. It is the crucial seed money that supports a strong nationwide public media system that benefits Nebraskans and all Americans. Federal dollars fortify everything from the infrastructure behind nationwide emergency alerts to the research and content pipeline for beloved PBS KIDS programming. 

Because public media programs and services matter to you, we encourage you to share why at ProtectMyPublicMedia.org. Your voice is powerful. Thank you for standing with us.   

Thank you,

Stacey Decker
General Manager/CEO

Any day, we expect the Senate to vote on the rescission package to claw back previously approved federal funding for public media for the next two years. The measure has already passed the House of Representatives, so we are in the last crucial moments to prevent these cuts. 

If you value all that Nebraska Public Media provides, visit ProtectMyPublicMedia.org right now. 

These cuts threaten the core mission of public media, jeopardizing the free, essential public safety services and educational programming delivered by stations that cover nearly 99% of the country.

In Nebraska, federal funding is the stable foundation that provides nearly 16% of our annual budget, around $4 million each year. Losing these funds would directly impact the local programs and services you rely on and treasure. 

For more than 70 years, Nebraska Public Media has stood as a trusted, valued and essential cornerstone – delivering life-saving alerts, educational resources, in-depth journalism, vibrant storytelling and live coverage of local sports. The full breadth of our work can only continue if our funding remains secure.

You have the power to protect the programs you love. Right now, three simple actions can make all the difference: 

1. Visit Protect My Public Media to lend your voice in defense of public media.
2. Bookmark and share this page, NebraskaPublicMedia.org/funding, to inform others. 
3. Amplify our reach – talk about us with family, friends and neighbors; follow, like and repost on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Use the hashtags #ProtectMyPublicMedia and #ViewersLikeMe.

Thank you for standing with us at this critical moment. Together, we can ensure public media remains a pillar of our state – today, tomorrow and for generations of Nebraskans to come. 

Thank you,

Stacey Decker
General Manager/CEO

We just received confirmation that the rescission package proposing to claw back all federal funding for public media has passed the House of Representatives. The request now moves to the Senate, where it can be approved by a simple majority of just 50 votes.

There is still time to make your voice heard and prevent these cuts. Please go to ProtectMyPublicMedia.org to learn more.

This fast-moving legislative threat puts the future of our entire public media system at risk. The package proposes cutting funding already appropriated by Congress that provides key funding for Nebraska Public Media and stations across the country.

The federal contribution to public media is less than 0.01 percent of the federal budget – only about $1.60 per person annually. This valuable investment fuels free, nonprofit, non-commercial, nonpartisan public media in communities of all sizes.

Federal funding accounts for nearly 16% of our budget. These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. Federal investment underpins the journalism we produce, the educational resources we share with children and families, the remarkable stories we tell about our state, the high-quality PBS and NPR programs you trust and enjoy, and the lifesaving public safety infrastructure that protects all Nebraskans.

The fight to protect federal funding for public media is far from over. The power of your voice is undeniable. We have only a short window to act and every voice counts.

Here are three ways that you can support public media right now:

1. Sign up with the trusted advocacy organization Protect My Public Media.
2. Bookmark and share this page: NebraskaPublicMedia.org/funding.
3. Share your love for Nebraska Public Media with family, friends and neighbors and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Use the hashtags #protectmypublicmedia and #viewerslikeme.

As we face the most serious funding threat in our network’s 70-year history, we are strengthened by three words that reflect our work in this great state: trusted, valued and essential.

Public media belongs to all of us and together, we’ll keep fighting to protect it.

Thank you,

Stacey Decker
General Manager/CEO

On June 3, a rescission memo was delivered to Congress proposing to claw back critical federal funding for public media stations nationwide, cutting funds already approved by Congress for the next two fiscal years. This begins a 45-day window for Congress to act—potentially at any time.

We need your help now. This is the most serious threat that public media has ever faced. Please find out more at Protect My Public Media.

We rely on a strong national public media system. It creates the PBS and NPR shows you love, like All Creatures Great and Small, NATURE and All Things Considered. It provides the infrastructure for nationwide emergency alerts that keep Americans safe. It creates a research and content pipeline for beloved PBS KIDS programming like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts and Alma’s Way.

Locally, federal funds provide nearly 16% of our budget—these are funds that are not easily replaced. They are the strong foundation for our storytelling about Nebraska history, arts, culture and creativity; our award-winning newsroom that publishes more than 1,000 stories each year; our more than 200 hours of live local high school, collegiate and professional sports; our work with Nebraska children, families and educators using PBS KIDS resources at more than 50 local events per year; and our statewide transmitters that provide lifesaving emergency warnings and Amber Alerts.

These services are why public broadcasting was created, and it’s why we’re entrusted with public funding: to serve Nebraskans with trusted, valued and essential resources that no other media company can provide.

Losing federal funding would have a far-reaching impact, likely dismantling the nation’s nearly 60-year-old public media system and jeopardizing universal access, the core mission of public media, especially in rural areas.

Here are three ways that you can support public media right now:

1. Sign up with the trusted advocacy organization Protect My Public Media.
   
2. Bookmark and share this page: NebraskaPublicMedia.org/funding.
   
3. Share your love of Nebraska Public Media with your family, friends and neighbors and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Use the hashtags #protectmypublicmedia and #viewerslikeme.

Even during these difficult times, we are steadfast in our mission to provide the programming, services and resources that you rely on every day.

Thank you for standing with us,

Stacey Decker
General Manager/CEO

On May 1, the President signed an Executive Order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to halt federal funding to PBS and NPR. It would stop both direct funding to PBS and NPR and restrict how local stations, including Nebraska Public Media, can use our federal funding.

We are deeply disappointed in this action and along with our national partners, we are carefully evaluating its potential impacts.

• It limits our ability to make independent and locally focused decisions about the programming and resources we provide to Nebraskans. This includes acquiring the PBS and NPR content that you and so many others enjoy every day.
• It fractures the strong local-national partnership that is the backbone of public media.

Even during this challenging time, we are steadfast in our commitment to provide every Nebraskan with trusted, valued and essential programs and services – just as we have for more than 70 years.

We are proud to be Nebraska’s storyteller and present a strong mix of national programming and local favorites such as Nebraska Stories, Big Red Wrap-Up, What If… and Friday LIVE – all with the help of federal dollars.

Here’s how Nebraskans benefit from a strong national public media system:

• It creates the PBS, NPR and PBS KIDS programs you love, rely on and trust.
• It supports public safety and our commitment to keep Nebraskans safe with 178 regional tornado warnings in one year.
• It sustains the efforts of our news team as journalists cover the state, publishing nearly 1,000 stories each year, with dozens of those shared nationally.
• It funds the high-quality PBS KIDS resources our education team uses to engage with Nebraska families at more than 50 local events yearly.
• It makes it possible for us to celebrate student athletes during more than 200 hours of local sports each year.

Nebraska Public Media has a strong base of support from many sources, including from people just like you. Federal funds are a vital part of that mix. They provide nearly 16 percent of our current budget and are not easily replaced.

Here are three ways that you can help:

1. Sign up for updates from the trusted advocacy organization Protect My Public Media.
   
2. Bookmark and share this page: NebraskaPublicMedia.org/funding.
   
3. Share your love of Nebraska Public Media with your family, friends and neighbors and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Use the hashtags #protectmypublicmedia and #viewerslikeme.

Now more than ever – public media matters. Thank you for your continuing support.

Sincerely,

Stacey Decker
General Manager/CEO