Our Funding

Public media provides a free, essential public service for an informed and engaged community. Nationwide, public media reaches 99 percent of the U.S. population and serves millions of Americans every day.

As a locally owned and operated media organization, Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio have a similarly significant impact on our immediate region.

From dynamic local programs like “ART inc.” and “Political Roundtable” to providing lifesaving emergency alerts through our operation of the Public Radio Satellite System, Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio are an important part of life in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

Your stories matter, and Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio are committed to telling them in a thoughtful, accurate, and timely way. Our independent reporting and detailed storytelling take time and resources, and we utilize both as efficiently as possible.

Questions? You can email us here.

Where Our Funding Comes From

Individual & Corporate Donors

The majority of public media’s operational funding – from the salaries of our talented journalists to our dynamic slate of programming – comes from the generous support of our donors and members. As a newly merged public media entity, we strive to be more relevant, more trusted, more dynamic, and more responsive to the needs of our community – and our donors at all levels are a critical part of that.

Federal Funding

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is an independent nonprofit that distributes federal dollars to local stations – amounting to approximately $1.60 per person per year. That money is used to invest in local programming and educational services that meet the needs of each community. Federal funding from CPB represents just 14% of Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio operating budget.

While federal funding represents a small portion of our overall budget, cuts would negatively impact our ability to fulfill our mission and serve our audiences. We are in conversations with

other public media organizations and are part of a national organization called Protect My Public Media to coordinate efforts and advocacy. Learn more at Protect My Public Media.

Philanthropy

Despite strong financial management and controls, like many non-profits, we operate at a deficit. This reality means that to continue to grow and deliver the programming you expect and deserve, raising new revenue remains a critical component of our revenue stream. That includes direct donor fundraising and grants through local and national philanthropies. We pursue every funding avenue available to us and are grateful for the longtime support of our philanthropic partners, including local leaders like the Rhode Island Foundation, the Champlin Foundation, and others.

Investment

In 2017, Rhode Island PBS – along with other public media entities nationwide – participated in a federal FCC spectrum auction. The auction was conducted to sell off valuable UHF/VHF bandwidth in an effort to provide the cell carriers with spectrum space to meet the demands of consumers. The auction netted $94.5 million and has continued to grow through a sound, conservative investment strategy approved by the board.

The use of investment funds is directed by our Board of Directors, who established a prudent spending policy that limits our annual distribution to no more than 4.5 percent. Our focus on maintaining and responsibly stewarding the investment is to ensure strong long-term financial stability.

How can I take action to advocate for continued support of public media?

Speak Up!

Make your voice heard by visiting ProtectMyPublicMedia.org for resources to help you contact members of Congress and sign a petition. You can also tell your friends why public media is important to you.

Join Us!

Local community support is our largest and most stable source of funding, and no matter how this shakes out, continuing our public service will require your ongoing support. If you’re already a contributing member, thank you! If you’re not, or if you can give more generously, now is an excellent time to join or increase your support.