As an NPR member station, Interlochen Public Radio is part of a larger network that includes 1,300 locally managed stations, funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Together, that network blankets the country with free and accessible programs across even in the most rural landscapes.
At IPR, these programs and services include the national shows you love and depend on like Morning Edition, Marketplace, Performance Today, and Science Friday, local productions like Points North and Music by Request and community events like Pints North and The Sound Garden Project.
As the value of public media funding is likely to be a trending topic this year, we’ve put together some common questions on how public media funding works, and the impact the loss of that funding may have on public radio and television in your region.
What is CPB's role in public broadcasting?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a private corporation created by Congress through the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. CPB’s mission is to provide every American with free, over-the-air access to programs that “inform, educate, enlighten, and enrich the public and help inform civil discourse essential to American society.” The CPB is distinct from NPR and PBS and does not produce programming or own, operate, or manage any public media stations.
Today, CPB-funded public media reaches nearly 99% of the U.S. population. Nearly 42 million people listen to public radio programming each week across all platforms. Every $1 of federal funding contributing to that programming, generates about $8 from local sources — a strong return on the nation’s investment.
IPR’s community service grant from CPB has ranged from $250,000 to $300,000 annually and is roughly 14 percent of our total operating revenue. Listeners will provide IPR more than $1.4 million this year. Other funding comes from corporate sponsors and rent from a tower we operate.
What would happen to IPR without that federal funding?
CPB funding makes public media as you currently know it possible. The support enables us to provide all the best national programming and unique services for northern Michigan, like separate radio stations for news and music. Federal funds support our core services and lay a foundation for local initiatives that enrich and strengthen our community in a variety of areas.
Local news: IPR has a growing newsroom at a time when nearly all news organizations in northern Michigan are in decline. In addition to increasing our capacity to report on critical regional issues, we are helping lead the effort to sustain the regional news ecosystem. We documented the state of the news business in 2023 and found more than 20 percent of editorial positions had been eliminated in the prior three years. This work helped establish a local Press Forward chapter, the only one in Michigan, that recently received $175,000 of operating funds to address the crisis of local journalism.
Music and the arts: IPR is a fount of music and culture and a trusted partner with the arts community. Through IPR, thousands of people connect with the wealth of artistry at Interlochen through broadcasts and events. We constantly feature local and visiting musicians and partner with other organizations like the Traverse City Philharmonic. Regular programming is made for children and families who can also attend free events like this, this and this. Chamber musicians fan out in the streets across our region performing in unexpected places. IPR helps artists develop novel programs like one that involves processing grief and trauma with songwriting and recording.
Exporter of regional life and culture: Through IPR, stories and music from northern Michigan are heard around the world. Last year, our podcast Points North was downloaded more than 600,000 times. The number of people streaming Classical IPR outside of northern Michigan grew to more than 9,600 in December 2024. Performances from places like the Cheboygan Opera House are heard on national shows and issues in our region get national attention. This is possible with a strong public radio network supported by CPB.
How can I take action to advocate for continued support of public media?
You can make your voice heard by visiting ProtectMyPublicMedia.org for resources to help you contact members of Congress and sign a petition.
- Rep. Jack Bergman (contact)
- Rep. John Moolenaar (contact)
- Sen. Elissa Slotkin (contact)
- Sen. Gary Peters (contact)
How else can I help?
To continue IPR’s mission will require your ongoing and continuous generous support. If you’re already a supporter, we say thank you. And if you’re not a current donor or can give more generously, now is an excellent time to start giving, increase your sustaining gift, or consider becoming a leadership donor.
Proudly share your support for public radio, and encourage your friends to support us, too. If you need a sticker to make your support visible, let us know at iprgiving@interlochen.org and we’ll send you some!
