Save the Signal Minnesota Fund

A lifeline for local public media in Minnesota

Public media in Minnesota is in crisis. With the elimination of Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funding, 16 public media stations across the state are facing devastating budget shortfalls—an annual loss of $17 million. These cuts represent anywhere from 5% to 50% of a station’s budget, threatening:

  • Local news coverage that keeps communities informed
  • Emergency alerts that save lives
  • Cultural and educational programming that connects Minnesotans
  • Rural and tribal stations, which are disproportionately impacted

The Urgency

  • CPB funding normally arrives in November. Without it, stations will feel the impact within 2–3 months.
  • Some are already preparing layoffs and programming cuts.
  • Without action, Minnesota communities—especially rural and tribal—stand to lose vital communication and civic infrastructure.

Philanthropy Can Be Part of the Solution: Save the Signal Minnesota

The Minnesota Public Media Emergency Fund (Save the Signal Minnesota) is a collaborative, pooled response through Press Forward Minnesota.

  • Funds will be distributed based on the percentage of CPB loss and focus on saving critical infrastructure, prioritizing the most impacted stations and those with significant community impact.
  • Goal: Raise significant additional funds by early October 2025 to prevent layoffs and service cuts, ensure community information needs are met, and support stations in transitioning to explore sustainable solutions.

How Funders Can Help

  • Donate to the pooled fund via Press Forward Minnesota
  • Support local stations directly
  • Act quickly—funds need to be distributed in late October 2025

Resources

On August 11, 2025, Press Forward Minnesota, the Minnesota Council on Foundations, public media leaders, and funders hosted a briefing about the threats facing public media and ways funders can take action.

To learn more about the federal funding cuts and impacted stations:

Why Support

Supporting Save the Signal Minnesota is not just about keeping stations on air—it’s about:

  • Strengthening community cohesion
  • Safeguarding civic participation and government accountability
  • Ensuring racial equity and rural inclusion in local journalism

Minnesota cannot afford to lose its public media signal. Together, we can help save it.

Contact

  • May Yang (Minnesota Council on Foundations) – Funding commitments → myang@mcf.org
  • Mukhtar Ibrahim – CPB-related questions → mukhtar@sayidgroup.com

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