WASHINGTON – March 9, 2022 – The U.S. House of Representatives today approved $525 million in advance funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in Fiscal Year 2024.
The FY 2022 omnibus appropriations package also included $40 million to establish the Next Generation Warning System at FEMA to support the public broadcasting infrastructure that transmits critical emergency alerts and warnings throughout the nation.
In addition, the funding package provides $30.5 million for Ready To Learn and $20 million for public broadcasting interconnection.
“America’s Public Television Stations are grateful for this bipartisan congressional support of a growing public investment in our work and for the Congress’s recognition of the critical role our local stations play in their communities and the essential services they provide all Americans in education, public safety and civic leadership,” said Patrick Butler, APTS president and CEO.
“Over 10 years of flat federal funding, our local stations lost $100 million in purchasing power. By providing $525 million for CPB’s two-year advance funding in FY 2024, an increase of $50 million, Congress is taking a big step towards restoring that loss and ensuring that local public television stations can continue to enhance the educational services, the public safety communications, the civic literacy and the beloved programming which millions of Americans need and value.
“In addition, we are particularly pleased that the funding package includes $40 million for a new program at FEMA to support the public media infrastructure that the nation depends on to transmit emergency alerts and warnings to every part of the country. Public broadcasting stations reach 99% of the American people, making us an essential part of the national alert and warning system. A recent CPB study identified at least $300 million in unmet infrastructure needs throughout the public media system – needs which threaten the reliability of our public safety mission. This new program will start addressing those needs and enhancing the alert and warning capabilities on which our nation depends.
“We are also thankful for the $20 million in FY 2022 for the annual station interconnection account, which is the backbone of the public broadcasting system, connecting local stations with national programming services and with each other to provide the educational programming that benefits millions of Americans of all ages.
“And we greatly appreciate the $30.5 million, an increase of $1 million, for Ready To Learn, a competitive grant program at the Department of Education that supports the creation and distribution of educational media content to millions of children across America. This program has been proven to help close the achievement gap between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers.
“We are profoundly grateful for the bipartisan, bicameral congressional support of House Appropriations Chair DeLauro, Subcommittee Chair Roybal-Allard, Ranking Member Granger, Subcommittee Ranking Member Cole, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Fleischmann, and Senate Appropriations Chair Leahy, Subcommittee Chair Murray, Subcommittee Chair Murphy, Committee Vice Chair Shelby, Subcommittee Ranking Member Blunt and Subcommittee Ranking Member Capito, and the full bipartisan membership of the Appropriations Committees for the critical support they have provided for the work of local public television stations through this funding for CPB, interconnection, Ready To Learn and the Next Generation Warning System.”
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Kate Riley
202-654-4222
kriley@apts.org