CPB Statement on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

March 11, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 11, 2021) — Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), made the following statement regarding the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes $175,000,000 for CPB as stabilization funding, being signed into law: 

“Today, the President signed into law funding approved by Congress to address COVID-related financial hardships facing families, communities and businesses, including our nation’s public media system. On behalf of the public media system, CPB greatly appreciates this stabilization funding. 

The funding to CPB will be directed to local public media entities that are continuously responding to the pandemic’s impact by providing essential educational, informational, and public safety services. Stations in all 50 states are informing their local communities about the latest coronavirus vaccine and economic developments, increasing access to distance learning with innovative educational resources, and helping protect communities by transmitting emergency alerts and sharing public health and safety information during natural disasters and throughout the pandemic.

As the nation continues to recover from the pandemic, the stabilization funding from Congress will support these valued public media services and sustain the broad reach and access that keeps public media resources available online, over-the-air and in communities across the country.”

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visit cpb.org, follow us on Twitter @CPBmediaFacebook and LinkedIn and subscribe for email updates.