Federal funding for public media at risk: how it impacts you, how you can help

BUNKER HILL — Smoky Hills PBS is your local public television station that serves 71 counties throughout Central and Western Kansas. It is our mission to enhance and promote public safety, provide educational resources to those we serve, establish community connections and preserve our local history.

Over the last few weeks, the White House submitted a formal request to Congress to rescind already-approved federal funding for public media. If approved, this move would affect the way Smoky Hills Public Television (also known as Smoky Hills PBS) would continue serving communities across central and western Kansas.

For over 40 years, Smoky Hills PBS has been a vital part of Kansas life — from broadcasting the 3-2-1A State Wrestling Championship, “Traveling Kansas,” and “Doctors on Call,” to providing trusted local coverage of The Kansas Legislature. Smoky Hills PBS also supports teachers with free educational tools and engages children through PBS KIDS programming, helping to build a strong educational foundation in homes and classrooms. We also host events year-round in communities throughout our coverage area, including a Summer Library Presentation where we visit over 80 libraries!

This vital work is made possible in part by federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Federal funding of public media amounts to less than 0.01 percent of the total federal budget, making it a very small amount of the federal deficit.

Losing this support would mean real cuts to public media services like Smoky Hills PBS, affecting the hundreds of thousands of people who count on us every day. Smoky Hills PBS will be forced to reduce or eliminate the very programming, events and resources that make Smoky Hills PBS a trusted LOCAL source for news, education and culture.

“This isn’t just about TV. It’s about access — to educational programming, to local coverage and to reliable information for rural and underserved areas,” said Betsy Schwien, General Manager of Smoky Hills PBS. “Without this funding, we risk losing educational programs, trusted news and the local stories that unite us. This isn’t just funding — it’s a lifeline for learning, something we have taken pride in providing Kansans for decades.”

We’re calling on our viewers and community members to stand with us. You can help protect public media by visiting ProtectMyPublicMedia. org or emailing and calling your Senators today.

Please consider calling Sen. Roger Marshall at (202) 224-4774 or Sen. Jerry Moran at (202) 2246521.

Amanda Smith, Director of Marketing, Smoky Hills PBS

About Smoky Hills PBS

Smoky Hills PBS is a local, nonprofit public television station serving 71 counties in central and western Kansas. We provide educational, informative and inspiring programming for viewers of all ages, brought to you by the power of public media and viewers like you.

For more information about Smoky Hills PBS, its programming or how you can support its mission, visit SmokyHillsPBS.org, call (800) 337-4788 or follow the station on social media @SmokyHillsPBS.

Smoky Hills PBS is available over the air with an antenna, on many cable systems or on DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, Dish Network, HULU + LIVE TV, YouTube TV and Amazon Prime. You can also access Smoky Hills PBS via the free mobile app for Android and iPhone devices and it is also available to stream by going to video.smokyhillstv.org/livestream.