Dear John,

On July 24, Donald Trump signed legislation cutting all federal funding from public radio and television.

Since then, the impacts have been devastating.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is going out of business. Dozens of local stations around the country have announced steep layoffs, while some, including New Jersey PBS, are shutting down completely.

A Pennsylvania public radio director described the cuts as a “death sentence.” A station manager in Kansas said, “We are crippled here. It is the absolute worst-case scenario.”

But there’s still a path to save public radio and television. Congress is just beginning to consider next year’s federal funding bills, and as more and more stations announce cuts and closures, Republicans are facing more and more pressure to restore what was cut.

Inequality Media Civic Action is redoubling our efforts to save public broadcasting. Will you make a monthly donation to help get out the truth and restore funding for public radio and public television?

If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.

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I know firsthand the value of public broadcasting. As Secretary of Labor, I always looked forward to interviews on public radio and television because I knew they would be tough, fair, and smart — exactly the kind of journalism we need for a functioning democracy.

Meanwhile, on network news I was lucky to get a few seconds, and the “shouting head” shows on cable news were just awful.

But the biggest impact of these cuts is on local news, where the area public radio or television station is the only reliable, trusted source of local news. And think about the generations of kids who have learned to read from public television’s early childhood educational programming.

All this for what amounts to just 0.01% of the federal budget. So why is Trump so hell-bent on destroying public broadcasting?

It’s all part of his authoritarian war on the free press. Ever since he was sworn in, he’s used the full force of the federal government to go after any news outlet that dares to challenge him.

Here’s the good news: Congress has an opportunity to restore funding in the FY26 budget cycle. With more and more stations shutting down and the tide of public opinion turning against Trump, we can still save public radio and television.

So I’m asking you: Will you make a monthly donation to help alert the public, educate the citizenry, and save public radio and television?