WEDU PBS isn't a luxury. It's a necessity.

If you’re skeptical of funding media with taxpayer dollars, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re asking the right question: Should the federal government be in the business of funding media at all?

As president and CEO of WEDU PBS serving West Central Florida, I welcome that question. Because when it comes to public broadcasting, the answer isn’t about ideology. It’s about value, accountability and what strengthens the fabric of Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Siesta Key and the Gulf Coast.

A modest investment that protects public value

The $1.60 per citizen annually provides the foundation for local stations like WEDU PBS and public broadcasting across the country. It is 1 one-hundredth of ONE percent of the federal budget. It delivers something commercial media often cannot: trusted, noncommercial, locally grounded programming. It’s not about left or right. It’s about content that’s designed to serve the public, not advertisers or algorithms.

And your $1.60? It’s doing a lot of work. Federal support for public media is the essential “first dollar” that makes everything else possible. For every federal dollar invested, public media organizations raise nearly $7 from viewers, donors, and community partners. Without those foundational federal dollars, the entire service collapses and all that public value is lost.

Some in Washington are proposing to eliminate public media funding altogether, even attempting to claw back over $1 billion already approved by Congress for the next two years. These efforts don’t just shrink budgets—they shrink opportunities, especially in places like the Gulf Coast. If federal funding is eliminated, many rural stations across America will go dark. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting reports that at least 26 public stations could shut down entirely, and 23 more risk losing essential services in remote areas.

This is local service, not partisan media

Public media’s value isn’t theoretical. It’s visible right here at home through WEDU’s local programming: 

• The Sarasota Experience: A documentary showcasing stories that define Sarasota County
• Florida This Week: Offering in-depth reporting and discussions on Gulf Coast issues
• Suncoast Business Forum: Highlighting economic development and regional entrepreneurs
• Greater Sarasota: A digital docuseries offering locally driven storytelling

During hurricanes like Helene and Milton, when cell towers and internet connections failed across the Gulf Coast, WEDU stayed on the air. Our uninterrupted broadcast signal provided lifesaving emergency information. In a disaster, WEDU doesn’t entertain, it protects. That is not a partisan service. That is public infrastructure.

WEDU also forms the backbone of educational opportunity for countless parents, teachers, homeschoolers, and children across our region. More than 50% of American children do not attend preschool, public broadcasting often becomes a child’s first classroom. Research shows that children who regularly watch PBS programs like Sesame Street demonstrate stronger school readiness, vocabulary, and math skills. These aren’t feel-good anecdotes. These are measurable, lasting academic gains that continue through life.

PBS supports lifelong learning from early childhood through adulthood. This isn’t merely about popular programs like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Finding Your Roots, Ken Burns’ documentaries, NOVA, Nature, PBS NewsHour, Great Performances, and American Masters. It’s about ensuring high-quality educational content remains free and available to all.

Public broadcasting reflects america’s best ideals

Ken Burns, whose landmark documentaries such as The Civil War and Country Music are PBS staples, calls public broadcasting “the only place” that supports the kind of longform storytelling our country deserves. His upcoming series The American Revolution, airing during our country’s 250th anniversary, highlights the values our founding fathers fought for: access to truth, civil discourse, and the public good. In an age when commercial platforms chase clicks and controversies, PBS remains a vital civic space that mirrors the very principles on which our democracy was built.

Consider Firing Line, hosted first by conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. and now by Margaret Hoover. The program models what civic discourse could be: intelligent, respectful debate where opposing viewpoints are given room to breathe. This is the kind of forum our democracy needs—and commercial media rarely provides.

General Stanley McChrystal once said that public broadcasting “provides one of the most important forms of soft power we possess.” He wasn’t talking about weapons or partisanship. He was talking about national cohesion, trust, and the strength that comes from being informed rather than inflamed. When we invest in public broadcasting, we invest in a stronger community and country.

Now ask yourself: Imagine America without PBS. And the Gulf Coast without WEDU. Who tells our stories? Who educates our children? Who helps keep us safe?

WEDU is not Washington. We are not New York. We are Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Siesta Key and Longboat Key. We are governed by community volunteers. And we exist to serve.

The choice is yours

Public broadcasting isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.

If you believe that too, now is the time to speak up. Call Sen. Rick Scott (202-224-5274) and Sen. Ashley Moody (202-224-3041) and visit WEDU.org/protect to voice your support.

Let’s not defund public broadcasting. Let’s defend it.

Paul Grove is president and CEO of WEDU PBS