Public TV and radio improve our lives

Here are six reasons why you should support your local stations' survival.

- ROBERT LLOYD TELEVISION CRITIC

Community-supported media had a tough year in 2025 with the defunding of the Corp. for Public Broadcasting, created by Congress under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

At the time of its death, the organization provided grants to 365 noncommercial television and 1,216 radio stations. (“Ending Taxpayer Support of Biased Media” was the biased title of this executive order.)

The CPB, it seems worth pointing out (again), was not in the content business; independent stations produce their own shows and/or acquire others, produced by other member stations, via NPR, PBS and various sources, free from interference.

Local noncommercial TV outlets include PBS SoCal (a union of KOCE and KCET) and LAUSD’s KLCS; on the radio are KCRW, LAist (KPCC), KUSC, KCSN and KJZZ, among others, each with its own identity and followers.

In addition to government funding, amounting to some $160 per taxpayer per year (or 0.01% of the federal budget), the system has survived on a mixture of grants, endowments, corporate sponsorships and donations from “people like you.” And if you are not already one of those people, this would be a good time to consider becoming one, by donating to NPR or PBS or directly to a favorite local station or show. Quality costs!

Here are six big reasons, encompassing dozens of little reasons.

Value for money

Conceived as a public good, community-supported TV and radio is broadcast for free over the air and over the net, where extra content, including short-form videos and podcasts, is often available.