The Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Relationship with the U.S. Department of Education

Introduction

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was a critical component of the public broadcasting landscape in the United States. Established by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, the CPB served as a private, nonprofit corporation that distributed congressional appropriations to public media broadcasters and producers. While the CPB did not own or operate any stations, it played a central role in supporting the development, production, and distribution of educational and cultural programming for national and local audiences. A significant aspect of the CPB's function was its relationship with the U.S. Department of Education, particularly through grants and initiatives aimed at enhancing educational outcomes. However, after facing defunding by Congress, the CPB announced it would cease operations in January 2026. This article explores the historical context, functions, and the evolving relationship between the CPB and the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the implications of the CPB's closure.

Historical Background and the Role of the CPB

Interest in educational programming dates back to the early days of broadcasting. In the 1930s, state universities and educational institutions began using broadcast radio for remote learning, seeking to better serve rural populations. The emergence of television in the postwar era spurred further efforts to develop noncommercial and educational broadcasting.

Federal support was initially limited to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) setting aside frequency spectrum for noncommercial and educational broadcasters and limited grants made through defense appropriations. Private philanthropies and, occasionally, for-profit broadcasters provided funding in the absence of regular federal funding.

Advocates sought greater federal support to improve transmission technology and programming quality. Congress enacted the Educational Television Facilities Act of 1962 (ETFA) to support construction and upgrades to educational television facilities through matching grants administered by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

In 1965, the Carnegie Corporation of New York created the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television to study noncommercial and educational broadcasting in the United States and to study best practices from other countries. The commission's report distinguished between programming to support classroom instruction (educational television) and broadcasting of noncommercial content for the broader viewing community (public television). The Carnegie Commission's primary recommendation was that Congress create and fund a nonprofit corporation to support production of public television content for local and national audiences.

The Public Broadcasting Act (PBA) of 1967 was enacted as an amendment to the Communications Act of 1934. The PBA incorporated several recommendations of the Carnegie Commission and established the CPB as a private nonprofit corporation. The CPB became the primary conduit for federal support of local broadcasters and producers and for the buildout of a national interconnection for program distribution and live broadcasts.

Structure and Governance of the CPB

The CPB was governed by a board of nine directors appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Directors served six-year terms and could serve up to two terms consecutively. The law required that one director represent public television stations and one represent public radio stations. No more than five directors could be affiliated with a single political party.

The PBA provided the board with the authority to name and appoint CPB corporate officers and to fix terms of compensation. The board also had several oversight and facilitation functions and obtained and disseminated grant funding to public broadcasters for programming and other expenses. The CPB Board and its officers did not manage programing decisions and other routine activities of local broadcast stations, which were independently licensed and operated.

Funding of the CPB

Until it was defunded by Congress, the CPB was largely funded by federal appropriations but sometimes received private donations as well. Congress provided two-year advance appropriations to the CPB to separate programming decisions from pressures of the appropriations process and to better allow for long-term planning of content development, beginning with the Public Broadcasting Financing Act of 1975. Appropriations to the CPB were made under the jurisdiction of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

The CPB and the Department of Education: Ready to Learn Grants

In addition to direct appropriations from Congress, the CPB received federal grant funds from other agencies. In recent decades, Ready to Learn (RTL) grants from the Department of Education have supported the development of educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children. RTL grants are awarded on a competitive basis every five years.

The Ready To Learn Television Act funded television programming and corresponding educational materials for preschool and elementary school children since the early 1990s, as a way to improve school readiness. This included many PBS KIDS programs, local PBS station initiatives, and corresponding early education research and resources.

These grants aim to provide: "A capacity to localize programming and materials to meet specific State and local needs and to provide educational outreach at the local level." Although RTL grants were previously made to the CPB, other public broadcasting entities may be eligible for grants if Congress were to appropriate funds to be administered by the Department of Education or designated successor agency.

Local stations also leveraged their relationships with community partners to bring these educational resources to the kids and families that needed them most through targeted on-the-ground outreach at schools, pre-schools, daycare centers, libraries, and mobile learning labs. Since 2005, more than 80 research and evaluation studies have demonstrated that public media’s multimedia literacy and math content engages children, enhances their early learning skills, and allows them to make significant academic gains helping to close the achievement gap.

Public Broadcasting's Role in Emergency Alerting

In addition to providing programming for local audiences, public broadcasting stations help provide public alerts and warnings during emergencies. The CPB administered a competitive grant program for public television and radio stations to replace and upgrade their broadcast technologies to expand alert and warning systems and to create a more resilient public alerting system. The program was established and funded through the annual appropriations process.

Under FEMA's original implementation of the program, the CPB was the only eligible applicant and sole recipient of grant funds for the FY2022-FY2024 grant cycles. In compliance with President Biden's E.O. 13985, "Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government," issued in January 2021, FEMA prioritized grant awards to public broadcasting stations serving minority and underserved communities.

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On February 18, 2025, FEMA put a hold on further disbursements of grant awards funded under a $40 million appropriation made by Congress in March 2022. This hold temporarily halted work on NGWS upgrades. The CPB sued FEMA to restore funding but later secured the release of grant funds on April 24, 2025, through a negotiated agreement with the agency. On August 18, 2025, the CPB issued a press release stating that-because it was defunded by Congress-it could no longer manage the NGWS Grant Program.

Political and Policy Context

The relationship between the CPB and the federal government has been subject to political dynamics and policy shifts. In April 2025, the White House moved to dismiss three directors appointed or reappointed by President Biden. The CPB subsequently contested the action in court, claiming that President Trump did not have authority under the PBA to remove CPB directors because, among other factors, the CPB was a private nonprofit organization. Further, the CPB argued that the action was taken with the intent to prevent the board from meeting quorum requirements to conduct CPB business. On June 8, 2025, the court denied the request for a temporary restraining order. On July 15, 2025, the Trump Administration filed a lawsuit against the three board members who had refused to leave their posts, claiming that they had usurped certain presidential authority and were therefore serving unlawfully.

On March 20, 2025, the President issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14242, "Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities." The E.O. directs the Secretary of Education to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education" while "ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely." On May 1, 2025, the President issued E.O. 14290, "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media," instructing federal agencies to end funding of certain public broadcasting activities.

The CPB's annual budget was composed almost entirely of an annual appropriation from Congress plus interest on those funds. Under the establishing law, no more than 5% of the appropriation may be used for administrative expenses. For fiscal year 2025, its operating budget included US$535 million of federal appropriation and $10 million in interest revenue. Public broadcasting stations from the CPB were funded by a combination of private donations from listeners and viewers, foundations and corporations, as well as government sources from 1967 to 2025.

The CPB's Dissolution and Potential Impacts

On August 1, 2025, the CPB announced that it would cease operations in January 2026 because of a lack of funding after Congress rescinded advance appropriations for FY2026 and FY2027, and Senate appropriators elected not to include funding in a version of a Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026. In July 2025, the Rescissions Act of 2025 was passed by the 119th United States Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump, cutting all federal funding for CPB.

The public broadcasting enterprise may witness changes following the closure of the CPB. Such changes could include closure of some broadcast stations and adaptation of others to find new sources of revenue, as well as less centralized oversight and development of the public broadcasting enterprise.

Resources and Support for Public Media

Various organizations and initiatives support public media through funding, training, and advocacy. These include:

American Journalism Project (AJP): A non-profit venture philanthropy organization that grants to nonprofit news organizations, partners with communities to launch new organizations, and coaches leaders.
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: Provides grants to organizations that align with its mission, including public broadcasting projects.
Ford Foundation: Supports initiatives that promote social justice, public interest journalism, and educational content.
Carnegie Corporation of New York: Funds public broadcasting projects that aim to strengthen civic discourse and public media infrastructure.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Funds educational programming and media literacy efforts within public broadcasting.
Annenberg Foundation: Funds various public media initiatives, particularly those related to K-12 and lifelong learning.
Knight Foundation: Provides funding to many local news and digital innovation projects.
Wyncote Foundation: Provides support to public media, with a focus on media that promotes social impact, local journalism, and community engagement.
American Public Television (APT): A leading syndicator and distributor of programming to local PBS stations across the country.
PRX (Public Radio Exchange): A nonprofit media organization that distributes content for public radio and podcasts and supports independent and local creators.
Greater Public: Provides fundraising, marketing, and membership support for public media stations.
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS): Advocates for public television stations in areas like federal funding and public policy.
Public Media Business Association (PMBA): A professional association focused on the financial, business, and administrative aspects of public media.
Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA): Dedicated to public media journalists, providing training, resources, and advocacy.
Public Media Content Collective (PMCC): An association that serves public radio programmers and producers, helping them improve programming and audience engagement.
Radio Research Consortium (RRC): A non-profit research company that provides listener data on radio audiences to non-commercial stations in the United States.
Station Resource Group (SRG): A nonprofit focused on supporting senior leadership in developing strategy and ensuring operational excellence.
National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA): Provides support to public television stations, particularly in the areas of programming, education, and community engagement.
National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB): A non-profit organization that supports community radio stations across the United States.
National Public Media (NPM): Jointly owned by NPR, PBS, and GBH, NPM is a full-service sponsorship organization.
Association of Independents in Radio (AIR): A network of independent audio producers and journalists that partners with public radio.
Public Media Women in Leadership (PMWL): A nonprofit organization that connects women across public media.
Public Media for All (PM4A): A coalition and advocacy initiative dedicated to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within the public media sector.

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