Public Media Faces Third Era Amid Funding Cuts And Audience Shifts.

Public media is entering what former President/CEO of Oregon Public Broadcasting Steve Bass, now an Executive Advisor at BIA Advisory Services, describes as its “third era,” marked by the loss of federal funding and sweeping changes in audience behavior. While the first era predated the 1967 creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the second was shaped by the rise of NPR and PBS, today’s landscape looks very different, he explains in a blog post.

With broadcast audiences declining and consumption shifting toward on-demand and mobile platforms, the traditional model of distributing national programming through local affiliates faces steep challenges. Observers say the opportunity lies in building out unique local services rather than relying solely on national content.

Industry leaders argue that this moment calls for bold, accelerated decision-making. Strategic choices once dictated by the need to protect CPB funding must now be reconsidered. Some propose expanding the definition of public media to include nonprofit news organizations outside of FCC-licensed broadcasters, as well as encouraging more collaboration or mergers to reduce inefficiencies among hundreds of local stations.

Others see a need for a new central organization to fill gaps left by CPB, providing services such as interconnection, music rights negotiation, and technology support for the public media ecosystem. Without such an entity, they argue, NPR and PBS may remain too focused on national content to adequately address local stations’ needs.

The shift is described as both existential and urgent. Leaders warn that unless public media adapts quickly, it risks losing relevance with audiences while struggling with outdated structures. “It’s a time to courageously question long-held assumptions and create new ways to achieve public media’s mission,” Bass concludes.