I was honored recently to be recognized by America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) with the 2025 inaugural Patrick Butler National Advocacy Award. I can’t thank APTS President and CEO, Kate Riley, enough for this recognition, especially as it is named after an incredible champion for public media and fellow Tennessean, Patrick Butler.
My career in public television has always been a passion for me, and I know first-hand the impact of public media. Our system of public media, created by the Public Broadcasting Act, is more relevant today than ever before. It is the last locally owned and governed media with the sole mission of serving the American people with non- commercial content that educates, inspires and entertains.
PBS is not a network, but rather a member federated system, to which Nashville PBS belongs. We are licensed to the people of middle Tennessee and governed by a local Board of Directors.
Currently, there is a lot in the news about our federal funding and the situation is changing quickly. Unfortunately, the focus is too often on national programs instead of talking about the devastating impact eliminating public media funding would have on local stations, like Nashville PBS!
Cutting or eliminating funding for the Corporation for Public Broad- casting would impact families who rely on the free, high-quality educational children’s content that is available on public television and via streaming. It would put at risk our ability to provide public safety infrastructure and communications, such as the PBS WARN system (Warning, Alert and Response Network).
And it would certainly cut important support for our local series you have come to love and appreciate such as Tennessee Crossroads and Volunteer Gardener, not to mention amazing national content such as Antiques Roadshow, Masterpiece, NOVA, and Finding Your Roots.
At the invitation of the PBS President, Paula Kerger, I was in the audience for the recent House Oversight Committee, Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE). It meant a great deal to me to hear the testimony of Paula Kerger on the importance of this funding for local stations. I know without a doubt that the $1.60 per American annually is a wise investment into local stations throughout our country, like Nashville PBS. It provides a crucial lifeline to their communities, offering award winning local journalism and storytelling, research-based educational resources, reliable emergency communications and cultural enrichment.
The federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that we are hearing about in the news is funding that comes directly to Nashville PBS. It is foundational money that supports a robust infrastructure of public media stations, licensed to local communities, like Nashville.
This total appropriation for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that supports public television and public radio across the country is 100th of 1% of the annual federal budget. However, losing this funding would cause significant damage to Nashville PBS and our sister stations across the state and nation.
This is a trying time for our nation, and we recognize the need to reduce the federal budget. Working together with our elected leaders, I believe we can find a solution that would allow Nashville PBS to continue providing needed and unduplicated services as a nonpartisan, non- commercial, educational community institution, without defunding or dismantling our entire system.
I encourage you to learn more. Sign up to be an advocate at protectmypublicmedia.org.
As always, I’m grateful for your support and thankful to be part of public television here in Tennessee, especially in Nashville. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Nashville PBS 615-259-9325 or bmagura@wnpt.org.
Thank you!
Becky Magura
President & CEO