July 18, 2025

From: KLCC General Manager, Jim Rondeau

Congress eliminates federal funding for public radio & television

Dear friend of KLCC,

On Morning Edition this week, filmmaker Ken Burns reflected on the continuing relevance of public broadcasting and the importance of federal funding to his career achievements. Even in this age of abundant digital communications, he said, "we're looking for an organization that is obligated to seek facts. Public broadcasting delivers with the highest standards of journalism and the highest standards of artistic achievement."

The end of an era

Early Friday, Congress approved a bill eliminating federal funding for public media. Over nearly six decades, that funding helped create one of the most trusted public institutions in the country--rooted in local service, powered by listeners, and designed to strengthen democracy. For KLCC, this means means more than $300,000 will disappear from our operating revenue this year—a gap that will recur every year until we can fill it. Those dollars represent about 10% of our yearly budget and won’t be easy to replace, but we’re hopeful about finding local solutions.

What you can do today

Together, we are the ‘public’ in public radio…and KLCC’s single largest source of support. Here’s how you can help:

• If you’re not already, become a monthly sustaining member. Your gift provides steady, reliable funding that KLCC can count on—exactly what we need in a time of uncertainty.

• Let others know about the news and programming you value. As new audiences find us, KLCC’s funding picture grows more stable.
• Communicate with elected officials so they’ll know the value of public media the next time a question crosses their desk. ProtectMyPublicMedia.org is a valuable resource.

We're determined to preserve KLCC as a space for shared truth and critical thinking. It began as a radio station, but today it’s a fully realized information resource—available on-air, online, through podcasts, digital articles, newsletters, and mobile devices. Thanks to you, we’ve invested in local news, live coverage, arts and entertainment that celebrates Oregon creativity and identity. KLCC was built by Oregonians, and can be sustained by us, too.

Reasons for hope

We’re optimistic and grateful because so many of you have already stepped forward with increased support. Thank you!

Still, the threat is real and Superman is not coming to save us. To protect KLCC’s service we must confront a significant, long-term budget challenge. The end of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting also means the possibility of additional costs for satellite distribution, music royalties and digital infrastructure that must be borne locally.

Your advocacy mattered

We’re tremendously grateful to those of you who reached out to Congress on behalf of public media. Although they're not the numbers that mattered this time, a recent Harris Poll showed that 71% of U.S. adults consider public radio a valuable service. 66% support continued federal funding. In each case, the majorities are bipartisan. Public media has always been about public service, not politics.

To lose what we’ve built together would be a heartbreak. But we have the power to protect it. More than ever, KLCC belongs to you.

With gratitude and resolve,

Jim Rondeau

General Manager

Read more:

• Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid
• Filmmaker Ken Burns: Public broadcasting is a 'purely American expression'