As former journalists and lifelong civic leaders, we’ve spent our careers committed to transparency, truth-telling and the common good. We’ve seen firsthand how media can uplift communities — or leave them behind. That’s why we serve on the board of Cascade PBS, whose mission is to inform and inspire our community to make the world a better place.
Now, public media is under threat — again. President Donald Trump’s request to cancel all funding for public broadcasting is working its way through Congress and is alarmingly close to approval. We have been here before, most famously in 1969 when Fred Rogers delivered his stirring, heartfelt testimony to Congress that cemented support for continued funding on the spot. This time is different; we are in complex and unprecedented times, and the risk to public media has never been more serious.
Public media is more important now than ever. In a world that often prioritizes profit over public service, Cascade PBS stands as a beacon of community-focused journalism, education and inspiring programs. We’ve served the Pacific Northwest for 70 years and have become an integral part of this community.
When so much of today’s media diet peddles outrage and rewards shouting over discussion, fear over courage, and distortion over truth, Cascade PBS brings light, not heat. We are a refuge for our children and our own desire for civility. More than 130,000 of our neighbors have become loyal members, and we reach nearly 2 million viewers, readers and listeners every month. Most of us, our children, and now our grandchildren, grew up on PBS. We learned to count and read, and how to share and believe in ourselves. We learned about kindness and empathy.
Cascade PBS is more than just a television station; we are a community hub of civic engagement and informed discourse, through our annual Ideas Festival, independent journalism and local original series. And of course, we’re the home for treasured programs like “PBS News Hour,” “All Creatures Great and Small,” “Finding Your Roots,” “NOVA,” “Nature,” “American Masters” and the celebrated documentaries of Ken Burns.
This year, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting received $535 million to support local stations through annual community service grants. PBS reaches 89% of lower-income families, offering trusted curriculum-based educational programming that commercial networks won’t touch. And in an emergency — from hurricanes to wildfires to health crises — it’s public broadcasting that is the backbone of the Emergency Alert System, collaborating with local and national authorities to ensure the rapid and reliable delivery of lifesaving information to the public. And all this costs just $1.60 per year per person.
Federal support acts as a force multiplier — for every dollar Congress allocates to public media, we generate about eight more in private and philanthropic support. That kind of leverage is rare for any federal program, and it’s part of what makes public broadcasting so resilient and responsive. But federal support matters most in small and rural communities, where corporate and philanthropic support can be harder to come by. Government funding keeps those stations on the air.
In most places around the country, public broadcasting is the last locally owned, operated and governed media organization serving their community. The government can — and should — continue to play a vital role in sustaining a media ecosystem that serves all Americans.
Public media is not perfect, but it is irreplaceable. At a time of rampant disinformation, misinformation, and deepfake and AI generated content, Americans are desperate for institutions they can trust.
Fred Rogers knew what it meant to be a good neighbor, and Cascade PBS honors that responsibility every day. We hope that you will contact your members of Congress and urge them to vote “no” on the president’s request to eliminate funding.
