In July 2025, the U.S. Congress slammed the door in the face of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, its member NPR and PBS stations and millions of their loyal listeners, viewers and donors by rescinding $1.1 billion in funding. Approximately 1,000 local stations are likely to be negatively affected, especially those serving rural and Indigenous communities.
One can stand with one’s nose against the closed door or open a new window. As soon as the rescission occurred, various groups and individuals acted as Americans are wont to do when the government turns its back. Notably, a group of well-known foundations that regularly support public media has made a $36.5 million commitment. Stations are also reporting an uptick in donations from individuals and local businesses.
However, the situation needed an innovative approach. A casual group chat of public media professionals motivated Alex Curley, a former public media producer, product manager and public media analyst, to create Adopt-A-Station. It is a single-page website that indicates which public media stations are most vulnerable to closing.
Curley has been writing an industry-specific Substack page with his analysis of nonprofit finances in anticipation of the end of federal funding.
“Almost every station is vulnerable, losing from 1% to 98% of their total revenue every year, but I estimate 15% of all public media stations are at risk of closing. They either relied on federal funding so much that it was tough to stay open, or some other financial indicator paired with the loss of federal funding meant they couldn't balance their finances,” Curley said.
Curley also created a simple formula to calculate stations’ dependence on federal funding:
Federal Revenue = Station
Total Station Revenue Dependence
Curley’s analysis revealed that nine radio stations relied on federal funding for more than 70% of their total revenue and four for more than 90%, based on FY23 data. Of even greater importance is that most of those stations serve Indigenous or Black communities. The average dependence of stations in U.S. Territories and Protectorates was 22.45% and the West 20.24%, compared to 10% in the Northeast, 14.44% in the South and 14.57% in the Midwest.
“Losing federal funding is a permanent condition. There are plenty of stations that may be financially stable today but not in three years. That’s why layoffs have started at stations that generate plenty of revenue. Stations aren’t just reacting to the immediate funding situation, but what will happen in the next four or five years,” Curley said.
According to Curley, the Adopt-A-Station site had 40,000 visitors during its first month from the July 20th launch. His most recent review of analytics showed approximately 20% of visitors were clicking on a link to a station identified as losing 50% or more of its revenue.
KTNA in Talkeetna, Alaska, shared donation information with Curley. Since federal funding was rescinded, the station has had 151 donors: 83 came from the Adopt-A-Station site, and 16 of those donors have become monthly donors.
Following the success of Adopt-A-Station, Curley is now working to increase visitor numbers to the site. He plans to change the stations that rotate through the adoptable section from stations that lost 50% or more of their revenue to those that lost 30% or more.
“Stations shouldn’t count on being able to fundraise next year like they are now. Many stations are preparing for when donation levels return to before the loss of federal funding. Foundational grants will be much more important to public media than they ever have been,” Curley said.
For further information, you can contact Alex Curley at alex@semipublic.co.
Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He has been a freelance/contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.
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