For 30 years, WDIY 88.1 FM has served the СŷƵ with something increasingly rare in today’s media landscape: trusted, local, noncommercial programming that informs, inspires, and connects us. We are your National Public Radio member station, but more importantly, we are your neighbors — bringing you local news, public affairs, diverse music, and cultural programming created by and for our community.
Today, that vital service is in jeopardy.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives narrowly for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The packagenow advances to the Senate where they are expected to move quickly on a vote.
Federal funding for public media amounts to about 0.01% of federal spending – about $1.60 per person per year. WDIY and stations like ours receive critical CPB support through a competitive grant process. The grant is not earmarked for NPR, although we can certainly use it to pay for the NPR programming. Overall, the funding supports our broadcast infrastructure, emergency alert system, music licensing and production of local programming.
Public broadcasting has long enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress, with a two-year advance appropriation system designed to insulate it from political pressure. That tradition is now over. Losing this money would be a direct hit to our ability to serve the СŷƵ.
WDIY broadcasts 24/7 and provides more than 30 locally produced community affairs shows and podcasts, hosted by more than 100 dedicated volunteers including youth. We air six hours a day of NPR news, still considered to be one of the most trusted sources for independent journalism. The rest of our on-air content is all local community news and information with a diverse array of music making up the majority of programming. We highlight the voices of СŷƵ residents, explore regional issues, support area nonprofits and artists, and host conversations you won’t hear anywhere else.
We are also a key player in public safety. WDIY serves as a critical link in the Emergency Alert System, providing timely updates during weather emergencies, health alerts and crises. When something happens in our region, we are here — reliably and without commercial interruption.
We also invest in the future. Our Youth Media Program has trained more than 200 high school students in radio journalism and audio storytelling since 1999. These young people develop real-world skills and produce award-winning content that reflects the perspectives of their generation. It’s a program funded in part by CPB, and one we couldn’t offer without federal support. Currently, we have five programs produced by local teens.
Music is another major part of what we do. Around 75% of our programming is music — from jazz to classical to indie rock — curated by local hosts. CPB negotiates the blanket licensing agreements that allow us to broadcast this music legally and affordably. Without this support, our music programming — and the cultural richness it brings to the region — would be at risk. We can’t afford to purchase licenses and certainly aren’t positioned to negotiate the same licenses and fees on our own.
Federal funding currently accounts for about 15% of WDIY’s annual budget. The remaining 85% comes from listener donations, underwriting from local businesses, private foundations and grants. We run a lean operation with an outsized impact. For every $1 in federal support, we raise $7 locally. But that 15% matters. It stabilizes our operations and ensures that all СŷƵ residents — regardless of income or ZIP code — have access to high-quality public media.
WDIY isn’t just a radio station. It’s a public square — a place where people from different backgrounds come together to learn, reflect and celebrate the life of this region. It was built by this community 30 years ago, and it is still run by the community today.
We’re doing our part. We are exploring ways to diversify revenue, increase local support and continue our mission no matter what happens in Washington. But we need your help — this is our rallying cry.
Please contact your senators and tell them to oppose this rescission of CPB funding. Visit protectmypublicmedia.org for tools and talking points. A phone call every day can make a difference.
If you believe in the power of local news, community storytelling and music that brings us together — now is the time to act. The future of public radio in the СŷƵ depends on it.
This is a contributed opinion column. Margaret McConnell is executive director of WDIY. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.
