KSPS PBS is my local public television station. It is where I turn for trusted news, educational programs, and thoughtful storytelling. It serves families like mine throughout the Inland Northwest, providing content that educates, inspires, and protects.
That service is now at risk.
Recent executive orders from the Trump administration propose eliminating all federal funding for PBS and NPR. For KSPS PBS, that funding accounts for approximately 20 percent of the annual budget, or $1.2 million each year. If Congress cuts this support, it would cripple the station’s ability to serve the public and diminish its capacity to meet the needs of our region.
Nationally, this funding for all public stations makes up less than one one-hundredth of one percent of the federal budget. It is a tiny expense with an enormous impact. I believe that funding for public media should be kept, not cut.
Without this support:
• Children in my community could lose access to PBS Kids programming such as Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, and Cyberchase. These free, research-based shows help prepare young children for success in school, especially in the half of American homes without access to preschool and the homes without cable or internet.
• The region’s emergency alert system would be weakened. KSPS PBS helps deliver Wireless Emergency Alerts through the PBS WARN network, which continues to function during storms and wildfires, even when internet and cell networks fail.
KSPS PBS is more than a broadcaster. It is an essential service for my neighbors and me in the Inland Northwest. I stand with this station and ask Congress to protect its future.
Please keep federal funding for KSPS PBS and public media.
