Act Now: Protect Iowa Public Radio

Funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is under attack. IPR is at risk of losing $1 million annually. The time to act is now. Tell Congress to preserve funding for public media.

The Trump administration plans to ask Congress to rescind $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). While this move targets NPR and PBS, the true impact is on the 1,500 local public radio and television stations that receive the vast majority of these resources, including Iowa Public Radio.

CPB dollars make up approximately 10.5% of IPR’s annual budget. This year, that is nearly $1 million in direct support. In addition, CPB supports the public radio interconnection system and negotiates and pays for music rights on public radio stations. Loss of this indirect support brings the potential impact to IPR to $1.3 million. We’ll be forced to make decisions on the programming and services you rely on as we seek to connect Iowans with the news, music, information, and ideas that shape your world every day.

About 20% of Americans live in an area where the local public radio station is the only source of local news. Nearly two-thirds of the counties IPR serves are rural areas with limited or no other local options. A loss of funding has the most negative impact on these communities.

Public radio stations are often the sole source of critical information in emergencies and natural disasters. The Iowa Public Radio network serves as a statewide distribution system for emergency alerts, which all other radio stations can monitor. When the next tornado, derecho or disaster strikes, these services help Iowans escape harm and stay connected to crucial information in the aftermath.

Public media showcases music, stories and people outside the mainstream, providing an important connection to the communities we call home. IPR highlights Iowa life, extends the reach of the symphonies and operas to all corners of the state and plays local musicians nobody else plays. Cuts to CPB directly affect our ability to air all types of music and cultural programming.

Your voice matters. There’s still time to stop these efforts to claw back funding for public media. Here’s how you can help:

• Call your lawmakers. The decision is now in the hands of Congress. Let them know why we must invest in a strong and accessible public media system.
• Send a message. Email your U.S. representative and senators. Share what public media means to you and why it’s worth protecting.
• Show your support. We’re preparing to rely on our communities more than ever. Help us get a start on replacing this federal funding.
• Spread the word. Public media serves everybody. Tell your friends. Share it on social media. Let everyone know why public media is important and encourage them to act before it’s too late.
• Stay connected. Listeners, viewers and supporters across the nation are organizing to protect the public broadcasting they rely on each day. Protect My Public Media has additional tools, information and ways to get involved. Join the action network for all the latest on how you can protect Iowa Public Radio and local stations everywhere.

How is Iowa Public Radio funded?
Iowa Public Radio is primarily funded by people like you. In our last fiscal year, 86% of our funding came from individuals, businesses and organizations in the communities we serve. Around 10% of funding comes from the federal government through CPB. The remaining funds come from special events, investments and other sources of income. We have not had any state funding since 2021.

How is public media funded?
Every local station has a different mix from similar sources. Smaller, rural stations rely more on federal funds. Overall, the CPB gets $535 million annually. That’s approximately $1.60 per citizen — about .008% of the federal budget — and a fraction of the amount invested by other countries. Only one-fourth of that amount supports public radio specifically.

What does CPB do?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting mainly administers grants, evaluates station effectiveness and ensures accountability to Congress and the President. The vast majority of its funds go to local radio stations like Iowa Public Radio or TV stations like Iowa PBS.

CPB also supports local stations in other ways — negotiating and paying for music rights for music stations and supporting the public radio and television interconnection systems. Without these funds, costs for individual stations will rise. Broadcasting will be more expensive. The price of playing the music you love will increase. Those costs are too much for many stations to absorb.

Why does public funding matter?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was created to serve as a public good — helping to provide a freely accessible, trusted source of high-quality educational and informational content. We still wholeheartedly believe in that founding principle. And it’s part of our mission to connect Iowans to the news, music, information and ideas that shape their world every day. We believe public funding ties us more closely to our mission to serve the public good.

What will happen to public radio if federal funding goes away?
NPR receives very little funding from CPB. A significant source of NPR funding comes from local stations that pay fees to air its programming. If stations lose money, NPR and other national program providers will also face a loss of revenue, leading to tough decisions on programming and services.

Iowa Public Radio will face this same financial reality. While we have practiced conservative fiscal management for many years and have financial reserves to help us, $1.3 million is a significant loss. We are taking steps to protect our core operations to maintain the highest level of service to you.

What happens next?
Congress will have 45 days to review and vote on the proposal. A vote may happen as soon as May 5. During this time, the Trump administration can temporarily withhold any funding included in the plan. Congress can vote on the rescission or do nothing. It only takes a simple majority to pass. If the rescission fails, the funding must be released. Congress also has the option to change what’s in the rescission package, including the amount of funding.

This 45-day timeline can be stretched or accelerated. If it lapses, public media funding will still be at risk in the budget reconciliation and appropriations processes.

Contact Congress now to show your support for Iowa Public Radio and the public media system.