Maintain CPB funding for public safety in rural Alaska

Public media plays a critical role in maintaining public safety and access to vital information across Alaska, especially in remote and rural areas where commercial broadcasting cannot sustain operations. The proposed cuts to federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would severely undermine the ability of Alaska's 27 public radio stations and 4 public television stations to serve their communities. These stations provide essential services like emergency alerts, weather reports for subsistence activities like whaling, and local news coverage on issues impacting Alaskans. In areas spanning vast distances of over 95,000 square miles, public media fills an indispensable need that private companies cannot meet. Eliminating or reducing this funding would force many stations to drastically cut staff and services, crippling their ability to deliver local programming and potentially going dark altogether. Public safety and access to information should be prioritized over any perceived cost savings. I urge you to reject these proposed cuts and maintain full funding for the CPB to preserve this vital public service for all Alaskans.