WASHINGTON—America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) have announced that they will be holding its annual Protect My Public Media Day on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
Organized by Protect My Public Media, a national grassroots advocacy campaign overseen by APTS Action, Inc., the day of advocacy and awareness focuses on protecting the future of local public media stations.
The virtual event brings together local public media stations, partner organizations and the public to highlight the value of local service and to explain the importance of restoring federal funding for those services.
Protect My Public Media Day comes at a key moment in the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process, as Congress begins considering federal funding legislation that could restore funding for local public media stations and help secure them for the future.
“Last year, Congress voted to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), but local public media stations were hit the hardest by this action because they received the vast majority of CPB funding,” said Kate Riley, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations. “Since federal funding was eliminated, stations have been forced to reduce local programming, lay off staff, scale back community-focused services and delay critical infrastructure upgrades, diminishing the local service communities rely on and putting dozens of stations at risk of closure, particularly in more rural areas.”
“Local stations across the country are serving their communities in unmatched ways but their ability to continue these essential services is seriously threatened if federal funding for local stations is not restored,” she added. “We are grateful to the local public media stations, partners and advocates who are coming together on Protect My Public Media Day to raise their voices to advocate for a future that supports strong local public media stations.
The theme for this year’s Public Media Day is Locally Rooted. Rising Together.
Supporters of local public media stations can visit www.protectmypublicmedia.org to participate in Protect My Public Media Day, take action and share how local stations have made a difference in their lives.
For more information, visit www.apts.org.
