The Knight Foundation, Pivotal, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have announced a $37 million commitment to support local public media amid federal funding repeals for PBS and NPR. The $36.5 million pledge includes $26.5 million in support for the Public Media Bridge Fund, a philanthropic effort managed by Public Media Company and developed with seed funding from the Schmidt Family Foundation. The MacArthur Foundation is committing $10 million in direct support to public media stations, programs, and organizations.
More than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations are slated to feel the brunt of funding rescissions. The Public Media Bridge Fund expects to finalize its grant process in late September and will notify local leaders of funding opportunities. The Knight Foundation, along with the MacArthur Foundation, aims to protect these important community institutions and reimagine public media for a stronger, more sustainable future. The Knight Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and other philanthropic organizations are committed to ensuring the future of public media and connecting people to vital news, culture, and civic life.