Dear Supporter,

The U.S. House—including Alaska’s own Rep. Nick Begich III—voted to gut public media. The legislation would claw back $1.1 billion in federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Now, the Senate is next—and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

This is not just about Big Bird (while he is important!)

For Alaskans—and for Americans living in rural areas across the country—public media is the only connection to trusted, fact-based information. It’s how families access educational programming without ads. It’s how communities hear about weather, disasters, and government actions. And it’s how our democracy reaches places where broadband doesn’t.

Here in Alaska:

KYUK in Bethel gets 70 percent of its funding from CPB. It’s the voice of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
KUCB in Unalaska says it would have to drop most of its local programming.
Stations like KSKO in McGrath, KOTZ in Kotzebue, and KRBD in Ketchikan keep Alaskans informed across regions where no commercial newsroom exists.

These stations form the backbone of Alaska News Nightly, delivering diverse local stories to the whole state. If these cuts go through, we don’t just lose shows—we lose connection, context, and community.

And it’s not just Alaska. In rural Appalachia, tribal lands in the Southwest, and agricultural towns in the Midwest, public media is a lifeline.

This isn’t a budget cut. It’s an attempt to dismantle the most trusted, cost-effective public communications system in America. For just $1.60 per person per year, public media delivers education, emergency response, civic news, and storytelling that reflects our local values.

Take action now:

📞 Call Senators Murkowski at 202-224-6665 and Sullivan at 202-224-3004 and urge them to vote NO on rescinding public media funds!
📨 Email senators from anywhere in the U.S. at ProtectMyPublicMedia.org

At Build Alaska’s Future Action Fund, we believe democracy starts with access to the truth—not spin, not disinformation, but fact-based reporting that reflects our communities.

Public media is one of the last remaining systems that still delivers that truth—especially in places like Alaska, where local news deserts are growing, broadband is limited, and private media doesn’t reach.

When public media is under attack, the ability of Alaskans—and all Americans in rural and remote communities—to make informed decisions about their lives, health, economy, and government is also under attack.

That’s why we’re fighting to protect this system. And that’s why we need you with us—right now.

Let’s make sure Alaskans in places like Whale Pass and Wales, and Americans in every rural corner of the country, can continue to rely on public media. This isn’t just a fight over funding. It’s a fight for connection, trust, and democracy.

With gratitude,
The Build Alaska’s Future Action Fund Team