Last Chance to Save Central Florida Public Media’s Federal Funding
July 10, 2025 at 8:00 AM EDT
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Dear Friends,
I know you’ve heard a lot from me this year about protecting government funding for Central Florida Public Media. I know I’ve asked a lot from you, and you have delivered.
You have called and emailed your Congressional Representatives and Senators. You have told them what Central Florida Public Media means to you, to your family, to our community. It may sometimes feel like nobody’s listening, but our voices are being heard. We’re in the home stretch, and we can’t let up now.
This is our last chance to save public media as we know it.
In less than 10 days, the Senate will decide whether to approve a proposal to take back $1.1 billion in funding previously set aside for Central Florida Public Media and public media organizations across the country. The proposal passed the House by just two votes; the outcome in the Senate hangs in the balance.
What’s at stake is more than the programs we love to listen to. It’s more than driveway moments. It’s more than Tiny Desk. It’s more than hurricane forecasts and recovery information. It’s more than in-depth local and global stories that help you understand how policy affects real people. It’s more than in-person convenings and conversations that bring people together.
What’s at stake is the type of community that’s created because those things exist -- a strong, healthy community united by trusted facts and an understanding of our shared human experience.
Fifty-seven years ago, Congress decided to invest in public media as part of our nation’s civic infrastructure -- an investment that has continued to this day. Today, we must remind Congress once more why this investment of just $1.60 per person continues to be critical.
You can call your Senators every day until the vote. It takes less than two minutes when you visit cfpublic.org/protect, click on “Send a Message to Congress” and follow the link to our advocacy partner Protect My Public Media.
Thank you for your tireless advocacy and support, both moral and financial. Because of you, Central Florida Public Media will be here for you and for our community for many decades to come.
With gratitude,
Judith Smelser
President & General Manager
Central Florida Public Media
Dear Friends,
I know you’ve heard a lot from me this year about protecting government funding for Central Florida Public Media. I know I’ve asked a lot from you, and you have delivered.
You have called and emailed your Congressional Representatives and Senators. You have told them what Central Florida Public Media means to you, to your family, to our community. It may sometimes feel like nobody’s listening, but our voices are being heard. We’re in the home stretch, and we can’t let up now.
This is our last chance to save public media as we know it.
In less than 10 days, the Senate will decide whether to approve a proposal to take back $1.1 billion in funding previously set aside for Central Florida Public Media and public media organizations across the country. The proposal passed the House by just two votes; the outcome in the Senate hangs in the balance.
What’s at stake is more than the programs we love to listen to. It’s more than driveway moments. It’s more than Tiny Desk. It’s more than hurricane forecasts and recovery information. It’s more than in-depth local and global stories that help you understand how policy affects real people. It’s more than in-person convenings and conversations that bring people together.
What’s at stake is the type of community that’s created because those things exist -- a strong, healthy community united by trusted facts and an understanding of our shared human experience.
Fifty-seven years ago, Congress decided to invest in public media as part of our nation’s civic infrastructure -- an investment that has continued to this day. Today, we must remind Congress once more why this investment of just $1.60 per person continues to be critical.
You can call your Senators every day until the vote. It takes less than two minutes when you visit cfpublic.org/protect, click on “Send a Message to Congress” and follow the link to our advocacy partner Protect My Public Media.
Thank you for your tireless advocacy and support, both moral and financial. Because of you, Central Florida Public Media will be here for you and for our community for many decades to come.
With gratitude,
Judith Smelser
President & General Manager
Central Florida Public Media