Public Media Funding: Frequently Asked Questions

Federal Funding for KUAF and Public Media Is at Risk
Updated April 24, 2025

The federal government is considering major cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the agency that helps fund KUAF and other public media stations nationwide. While this funding makes up approximately 17% of KUAF's budget, it is vital to maintain the local news, emergency coverage and educational programming you rely on. Here's what you need to know about the proposed cuts, how they could affect KUAF and how you can make your voice heard.

What can I do to support KUAF during this time?

1. Make a donation at SupportKUAF.com
   
2. Become a monthly sustainer 
   
3. Contact your elected representatives to share your support for public media 
   
4. Tell friends and family why KUAF matters to you 
   
5. Visit ProtectMyPublicMedia.org for resources, updates and more information about how to take action 
   
6. Encourage your favorite business and/or organization to become an underwriter with KUAF

Making phone calls and sending letters to our members of Congress will help make the case for continued CPB funding. Your voice as a constituent is powerful when communicating with elected officials about why public media matters to you.

What is happening with public media funding?
According to recent reports, the Trump Administration plans to ask Congress in late April to rescind $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports public radio and TV stations nationwide. In a process called rescission, the President can propose cutting federal funds that have already been appropriated by Congress, but Congress must approve the cuts within 45 days of notice from the President. House leadership has indicated they may vote on the package as early as the week of May 5.

What is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)?
The CPB is an independent, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 with two primary functions: to serve as a firewall between partisan politics and public broadcasting, and to help fund programming, stations, and technology. It is neither NPR nor PBS, but rather distributes federal funding directly to local stations like KUAF.

How much CPB funding does KUAF receive?
KUAF receives $148,690 annually through our Community Service Grant from CPB. When combined with other federal funds that support national programming ($14,182), system support ($11,508), interconnection ($10,543), and equipment/content/services ($7,778), the total federal support amounts to $192,701 per year, which is approximately 17% of our operating budget.

What financial challenges does KUAF currently face?
Like many organizations, KUAF faces significant financial pressures from rising costs of living for our staff, increasing programming costs, and ongoing equipment maintenance and replacement needs. Unfortunately, membership and underwriting revenue have not kept pace with these increases. The potential loss of federal funding would compound these challenges at an already difficult time, requiring us to either find significant new revenue sources or make cuts to our programming and services.

What is the true impact of losing this funding?
While the direct federal funding is $192,701, the cost to replace all these services individually would be approximately $264,000. This is because CPB's collective purchasing power provides economies of scale for services like satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, and music licensing that would be much more expensive for KUAF to purchase independently.

How does KUAF serve the University of Arkansas and its students?
As a university licensee, KUAF provides valuable training opportunities for students interested in careers in journalism, broadcasting, and media production. We offer internships and hands-on experience that allow students to develop professional skills in a real-world environment. Many former KUAF student employees and interns have gone on to successful careers in public media and other news organizations. This educational mission is central to our service and aligns with the University's commitment to experiential learning.

How is CPB funding used at KUAF?

CPB funding supports:

• Local news reporting and production, including our flagship program "Ozarks at Large," which provides 313 hours of original local content annually 
  
• Life-saving emergency alerts and weather information for Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, including tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and winter weather advisories 
  
• Music and cultural programming, with 416 hours annually of locally-produced music shows including Generic Blues, Shades of Jazz, Vinyl Hour, Pickin' Post, and Jazz Scoop 
  
• Community Spotlight segments highlighting local non-profits during weekday Morning Edition broadcasts 
  
• Community outreach programs like The Listening Lab and our Regional Heritage Series 
  
• Broadcast infrastructure and technology that maintains our service to 14 counties across the region 

How would the loss of CPB funding affect national programming?
A portion of KUAF's federal funding is designated for national programming. This helps us bring you trusted programs like Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, and other NPR favorites. If this funding is cut, we would need to find additional resources to maintain these programs or potentially reduce the number of national shows we carry. Additionally, the pooled resources that CPB provides for program distribution, satellite services, and music licensing would become more expensive for each station to purchase individually, making it harder for stations like KUAF to offer the diverse programming our listeners value.

Who does KUAF serve?
KUAF reaches an estimated 750,000 people across our broadcast coverage area, serving counties throughout Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley (Benton, Boone, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Newton, Pope, Scott, Sebastian, Washington, and Yell) as well as several counties in Oklahoma and Missouri. Our station employs 11 full-time professionals and 5 part-time staff members serving our entire community.

What role does KUAF play in public safety?
KUAF is a critical part of the nation's civil defense and public safety infrastructure. In 2024, KUAF issued 75 alerts for weather emergencies and public safety notices. During severe weather events, such as tornadoes, ice storms, and flash floods, our emergency information services reached an estimated 70,000 listeners, with emergency management officials citing our coverage as critical to public safety and preparedness. Our station maintains regular contact with local first responders, ensuring coordinated emergency communication.

What would happen if KUAF lost CPB funding?
While KUAF would continue to operate, the loss of federal funding would require difficult decisions about which services and programs we could continue to provide. We would need to seek additional funding of at least $264,000 from our community to maintain our current level of service. Some programming, especially local reporting, could be reduced or eliminated.

When will decisions about this funding be made?
The White House is expected to send the rescission proposal to Congress in late April. Once Congress receives the proposal, they have 45 days to vote on it. House leadership has indicated they may vote on the package as early as the week of May 5, which is much sooner than initially expected.

Why is public media needed when we have so many news sources?
With the number of local journalists declining nationwide and increased division and isolation in our country, independent and nonprofit public media organizations like KUAF continue to provide a high level of service to communities. Public media abides by rigorous ethical standards to ensure our content cannot be influenced by commercial or political interests. In a time where anyone can post their opinion to social media, journalism grounded in rigorous fact-checking and high journalistic standards is essential to being a trustworthy source of news and information.

Does the public support funding for public media?
Yes. A recent Pew Research Center survey shows Americans are twice as likely to support as oppose continued funding for NPR and PBS. This strong support crosses political lines, with people from diverse communities recognizing the value of non-commercial, educational media that serves local needs. For just $1.60 per American per year, public media provides trusted journalism, educational content, and emergency information without paywalls or commercial influence.

How does CPB funding benefit rural communities?
In many rural areas, public media stations are the only local sources of news and emergency information. Federal funding helps ensure that all Americans, regardless of where they live, have access to essential information services. KUAF provides critical emergency information during severe weather events and other emergencies across our 14-county service area.

Is public media an efficient use of federal funds?
Yes. For every federal dollar invested through the CPB, public radio stations raise on average $7 locally - a successful public-private partnership demonstrating efficient use of taxpayer resources. At KUAF, nearly 60 percent of our budget comes from donations by local listeners, and 20 percent comes from local business underwriting. The annual cost to American taxpayers for public media funding is remarkably small – roughly $1.60 per person.

Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
If you have any questions about this situation or how you can help, please contact our General Manager, Clint Schaff, at schaff@uark.edu.