WHY WEDU IS ESSENTIAL
TRUSTED EMERGENCY RESOURCES
We deliver timely public alerts and critical guidance during emergencies through reliable tools like the free Florida Storms app.
AWARD-WINNING PROGRAMMING
Commercial-free content that informs, educates, and inspires the communities we serve.
LOCAL STORYTELLING
We provide thoughtful, in-depth perspectives on regional stories and issues important to West Central Florida.
EDUCATION
Support educators and families with over 52,000 hours of free, high-quality educational and engaging programming, along with community events, workshops, and digital training resources.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Strengthening local connections through inclusive events like Be My Neighbor Day, engaging thousands of community members each year.
THE FACTS OF FEDERAL FUNDING
Local public media stations are among the last locally managed outlets, with WEDU PBS as the only locally owned television station in West Central Florida. Together, PBS stations across the country serve 99% of the U.S. population, including 24/7 coverage in rural and remote areas.
- Represents .01% of the federal budget
- About $1.60 per person annually
FAQs
Q: What percentage of your funding comes from taxpayers, and how is that money spent?
A: Federal funding for public broadcasting amounts to about $1.60 per person annually. This critical seed money is maximized locally to provide essential public services, including children’s educational content and community resources, lifesaving public safety services, and content and services that help engage communities and contribute to a stronger, more connected society.
Q: Why should taxpayers continue funding public media?
A: PBS member stations provide proven educational resources and life-saving public safety services, and we connect communities to the stories, issues, history and culture that are uniquely theirs. It is a vital resource for rural communities in bandwidth-limited areas, where commercial media is out of reach physically or financially. For about $1.60 per person per year of federal funding, public broadcasting provides every American household with exceptional local services – every day, for free, everywhere they are. For families, our educational content helps set children up for success and includes resources for students all the way through the 12th grade. We empower parents with access to safe, high-quality content that helps their children succeed in school and in life. We are also a critical resource for communities and an essential public safety partner, helping alert people about emergencies, such as hurricanes, wildfires and severe winter weather.
Q: What would defunding public media mean for consumers?
A: The substantial majority of federal funding for public media goes to local stations. As a result, defunding public media would have a significant negative impact on local stations and the communities that depend on them for essential public services, from education resources to public safety alerts and community connections. The impact would be felt most severely in rural and remote communities where local public media stations are often the last locally operated and locally controlled media sources – putting at risk local emergency alerting and access to free, trusted, educational resources.
Q: How does U.S. public media funding compare to other democratic countries, and what lessons can we learn?
A: The U.S. invests significantly less in public media compared to other democracies. Countries with higher public media funding often see greater societal cohesion, informed citizenry and cultural preservation.
Q: Which programs or services would be most affected if public media loses government funding?
A: A cut to federal funding is a serious threat to the existence of local public television stations, which puts all of our programming and services at risk. It would be especially problematic for our rural stations and children’s educational content. These are the areas that commercial media often does not attempt to serve, and likely wouldn’t, due to their for-profit model.