The defunding and now formal closure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has sent shockwaves across the public media landscape—especially among grassroots, non-NPR community radio stations that depend on modest budgets and local support to stay on the air.
At this critical moment, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) is being called upon by national partners to assess and elevate the specific, and often invisible, impact of CPB’s loss on hundreds of small, rural, and Tribal stations. These are stations that do not have national underwriting, brand recognition, or large development teams. They are community-run, locally accountable, and essential to the civic and cultural health of their regions.
One of the most urgent consequences of CPB’s closure is the disruption of national infrastructure that small stations depend on. Many rely on the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) to deliver real-time emergency alerts—making them indispensable last-mile connectors during natural disasters, wildfires, and other crises. At the same time, community stations face legal and financial uncertainty around music streaming rights once managed by CPB through SoundExchange. Without a successor to CPB’s role in negotiating and covering these rights, many stations may be forced to stop streaming altogether—undermining public safety communication and the ability to serve audiences in a digital-first world.
Community radio is not a luxury—it is civic infrastructure.
When power goes out, when cell towers burn, when internet networks fail, people turn to radio. AM/FM remains the most reliable medium in an emergency (FCC, 2018). For remote and underserved communities, it is often the only real-time source of life-saving information.
NFCB urges Congress and the public to understand what is truly at stake. This is not about preserving a bureaucracy. It’s about preserving access, equity, and safety. The closure of CPB has left a wake of uncertainty—but our commitment to amplifying local voices, preserving cultural expression, and ensuring emergency access remains unwavering.
We call on philanthropic partners, policymakers, and public media allies to join us in forging a new path forward—one that centers equity, transparency, and the needs of the communities most often left behind.
Contact:
Rima Dael, CEO
National Federation of Community Broadcasters
rima@nfcb.org | nfcb.org
