Funding Uncertainties
Federal
The rescission of Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funds amounts to $12M in missing grants for stations, a loss of 5-50% of each stations’ budget. Now, public radio and television stations are navigating new budget realities which means reduced service for most stations.
State
Currently at $1.6M in funding, IPBC seeks an increase to historic levels. From 1990 to 2007, the state of Illinois supported public media at or near $5M annually. Restoring this funding moves stations closer to historic levels of support and helps to secure the future of public media, from its service reach to keeping residents civically engaged.
Universities
The increased economic pressure has caused some institutions to reduce their direct financial support.
Public Media’s Reach
Free service for everyone in Illinois, regardless of ability to pay — NO paywall!
Educational and non-partisan outlets for state and local government, including interviews with elected officials
Vibrant arts & culture coverage
Crucial emergency communications role
Public Media’s Vitality
Public media is filling the gap left behind by the decline of print newspapers
Illinois is in the top 10 for decline of newspapers
Illinois journalism jobs at print newspapers declined by 86% since 2005
Illinois local journalism task force report January 2024
Decline of Local Media = Decline of Civic Engagement
An informed citizenry is essential to the health of our government on both the national and local levels. Studies show communities lacking robust local journalism have lower levels of voter participation and higher levels of corruption. And, of course, misinformation flourishes. Less measurable but still important is the sense of community that local news fosters.
Northwestern University study
News
WEIU-TV leaves airwaves after loss of federal funding
Ten months after Congress voted to rescind federal funds for public media, the former PBS affiliate at Eastern Illinois University will cease its televised broadcasting service today, May 15, 2026. For more than 40 years, WEIU has served eastern Illinois as a public television and radio station and a training ground for student journalists at Eastern Illinois University.
Illinois is in the bottom half for state funding (T-30)
State funding for public media in Illinois is among the lowest in the Midwest.
$5 million in state funding would put Illinois at nearly 40 cents per capita
It would also put Illinois closer to the average public media support adjacent states provide — raising Illinois to 20th out of the 32 states providing funding for public media.