Colorado Public Radio is part of a larger public radio network that includes 1,300 locally and independently managed stations, funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). A part of the mandate for public radio is to provide free access to information and cultural programming, regardless of population density, income, or geographic challenges. In Colorado CPR reaches 90% of the population and together with a dozen independent stations in mountain and rural communities public radio serves every congressional district in the state.
Colorado Public Radio is a non-profit organization delivering meaningful news, music, and cultural experiences to everyone in Colorado using the power of the human voice in all its forms. Roughly 95 percent of CPR’s funds come from the private support of listeners, businesses and foundations.
CPR has one of the largest newsrooms in the state, and the only Washington, D.C., based reporter covering the Colorado congressional delegation and national issues with local impact. CPR.org and Denverite.com are among the most-read news websites in Colorado.
CPR’s Classical and Independent music services bring listeners not only the best recordings and most important and enjoyable songs from around the country and beyond, but also focus intensely on the world-class music made by artists right here in Colorado. This support of local musicians makes Colorado Public Radio a connector for the arts throughout the state.
Public media services also include things you may not routinely consider, like lifesaving emergency alerts for all public radio stations — not just NPR Member stations — through its management and operation of the Public Radio Satellite System.
As the value of public media funding is likely to become a trending topic in the coming year, we’ve put together some common questions on how public media funding works, and what impact a profound realignment of that funding may have on public radio and television in your region, and across the country.
What is CPB's role in public broadcasting?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a private nonprofit corporation created by Congress through the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. CPB’s mission is to provide every American with free, over-the-air access to local public media. The CPB is distinct from NPR and PBS and does not produce programming or own, operate, or manage any public media stations.
Today, CPB-funded public media reaches nearly 99% of the U.S. population. Nearly 42 million people listen to public radio programming each week across all platforms. Every dollar of federal support to CPR returns an additional $15 in local support here in Colorado.
Why does Colorado Public Radio or any public station need federal funding?
Even though listener and community support makes up the bulk of Colorado Public Radio’s funding, federal funding — which amounts to about $1.60 per person annually — makes public media as you currently know it possible.
CPB’s investment directly supports local stations across the country and enables them to provide essential programs and services. If federal funding is eliminated, public media stations could be forced to cut some or all of the following:
- hallmark educational content
- important public safety communications during natural disasters
- professional development and resources for teachers
- music and cultural programming
- local newsrooms and personnel providing information essential to the wellbeing of local communities.
Some stations, particularly those in rural areas securing a larger percentage of their revenue from the CPB, could even be forced off the air. In many rural communities, public media stations are the only local sources of news.
What portion of Colorado Public Radio’s budget is reliant upon CPB funding?
For fiscal year 2025, the CPB will provide about $1.4 million to CPR, about 5% of our projected revenue.
The majority of our revenue comes from support from individual donors. About 22% comes from sponsorship.
Today there are very real efforts to eliminate CPB funding and challenge our ability to raise funds from sponsors.
What would happen if Colorado Public Radio loses CPB support?
Colorado Public Radio would need to find even more than the $1.4 million in missing CPB funds from our donors and sponsors as it will require additional resources to raise these funds.
But the impact on the public radio system would be much greater than individual station grants. Stations across the country rely on pooled resources from CPB including satellite interconnection, emergency alert systems, the ability to license music, and to develop educational programs. The whole network would be impacted in ways that would also impact Colorado Public Radio.
CPR would do everything possible to maintain our current level of service, but the entire public media system would be weakened and rural communities in particular would be increasingly underserved.
How would the national networks like NPR be affected?
NPR receives very little direct funding from the CPB - they rely on stations and sponsors for most of their funding. “Defunding NPR” really means defunding local stations who in turn will have to figure out how to operate. Some will not survive, some will reduce or eliminate NPR programming. Together, the entire network is made vulnerable, beginning in local communities.
Most dramatically, if stations in smaller communities were to shut down, NPR and PBS would receive less money in member dues to fund program production and the work of journalists embedded around the world. It would, in turn, be more difficult for NPR and PBS to cover stories from smaller and vulnerable communities with fewer resources in the field.
Why is public broadcasting needed when we can get news from so many sources (commercial, social media)?
Local public media stations provide critical information to help citizens make informed decisions.
For example, during the pandemic, Colorado Public Radio provided health and safety information that helped area residents make decisions to stay safe. At that time, CPR had the largest audience in its history, both on the radio and on the CPR and Denverite websites.
During the 2024 election season, nearly 3 million people visited our websites, with hundreds of hours spending substantial time learning about Colorado’s ballot initiatives and candidates on our comprehensive voter guides. And these are just two examples of the growing service CPR provides Colorado.
Non-profit public media continues to provide a high level of service to communities while other local media outlets are shrinking or closing. Public media abides by rigorous ethical standards to ensure our content cannot be influenced by commercial interests. CPR is the first news organization in the United States to receive certification from the Journalism Trust Initiative for the transparency and independence of our editorial practices.
In a time where anyone can post their opinion to social media, journalism grounded in rigorous fact-checking is essential to inform decisions that affect our health and safety, our finances, our democracy, and our future.
How can I take action to advocate for continued support of public media?
You can 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.
How else can I help?
To continue Colorado Public Radio’s mission will require your ongoing and continuous generous support. If you’re already a member, we say thank you. And if you’re not a member or can give more generously, now is an excellent time to join or increase your support.
