Federal Funding Eliminated – Protect Community Media TODAY

As many of you are probably aware, the federal government is gutting funds for public media. 

While WRFI has directly received very little federal support over the years, these cuts will still affect us. And with our tiny budgets, small stations like WRFI are the most vulnerable.

But these cuts are not just an attack on our industry, but an assault on the public’s ability to build informed and resilient communities. 

This spring, DOGE cut WRFI grant funding for the Undiscovered Country project which highlights the voices of incarcerated poets.

Looking forward, we anticipate it will become more costly to provide the kinds of essential news we broadcast daily, including content from partners like National Native News and Capitol Pressroom, which are heavily dependent on federal funding. We will also likely see a dramatic increase in our costs for music licensing. 

As destructive as these cuts are, we expect a sustained assault on public broadcasting and civic culture. But together we can resist the void and embrace people-power:  Please help defend community media and make a meaningful gift today.