Public Radio at Risk: What’s at Stake for Tribal and Rural Communities
Kennedy Satterfield and Morgan Gray
In rural Tribal communities across the United States, public radio is more than a source of news and entertainment; it's a lifeline. These stations deliver critical infrastructure for communication and connection, especially in areas where broadband access and even phone lines remain limited or nonexistent. Tribal radio broadcasts emergency alerts during storms, helps locate missing persons, shares local news, and preserves language, memory, and identity.
A recent executive order from the Trump administration threatens to slash funding for public broadcasting and radio, jeopardizing the operations of dozens of Tribal stations and the millions who rely on them. The potential fallout is vast: from losing life-saving emergency alerts to erasing Native language programming and severing critical ties in communities that are already digitally disconnected.
A Lifeline During Disasters: How Tribal Radio Saves Lives
In many Tribal communities, public radio isn’t just one option, it’s often the only one. Roughly 29% of American Indians live in rural areas, many without broadband, cellular service or landlines. For these communities, more than 60 public media stations offer a critical lifeline and in emergencies, real-time alerts.
Tribal stations are integral to the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which distributes time-sensitive, potentially life-saving messages. Many Tribal stations are designated as Primary Entry Points in state emergency plans, and are responsible for transmitting alerts directly from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) without relying on internet access.
Federal policy decisions, particularly those related to funding for public media, have significant implications. In regions where infrastructure is sparse and emergency response delayed, public radio is often the first and sometimes only community lifeline.
When KUYI-Hopi Radio remained on-air during a two-day power outage in 2010, its 69,000-watt signal broadcast evacuation updates across canyons and mesas. In 2024, after Sitka, Alaska lost internet and cell service for more than two weeks, KCAW Raven Radio, supported by Tribal organizations and CoastAlaska, expanded its emergency capacity to keep residents informed.
The consequences of underfunded public radio infrastructure can be both immediate and deeply consequential. On the February 20 episode of Native America Calling, Peggy Berryhill, Muscogee (Creek), co-founder of KGUA Mendonoma Public Media, described sleeping on the station floor alongside volunteers during severe storms to maintain emergency broadcasts. “We needed to make sure people heard us,” she told host Shawn Spruce. Such accounts underscore that the sustainability of Tribal public radio is not solely an issue of media access, but one of public safety, infrastructure resilience and Tribal sovereignty.
Public Radio’s Role in Locating the Missing: When Every Minute Counts
Public radio also provides essential support in rural Tribal communities when people go missing. American Indians and Alaska Natives are significantly more likely to go missing or be murdered than other racial or ethnic groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) females experienced the second highest rate of homicide in 2020.”
These numbers often obscure even higher rates of violence in counties with large Tribal populations. In communities with limited broadband or cell service, public radio may be the only way to distribute Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) alerts, a critical tool for locating missing and vulnerable individuals.
In March 2025, the death of Emily Pike, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, renewed calls to improve alert systems statewide. In response to long-standing advocacy by Native Public Media and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and with support from the Pike family and others, Arizona passed the Turquoise Alert System earlier this year.
The legislation, signed into law with bipartisan support, coordinates rapid response efforts for missing Indigenous or endangered persons using the Emergency Alert System. Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis helped spearhead the bill.
In many Tribal communities, these alerts are only heard on the radio. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as of Dec. 31, 2024, 1,268 children have been recovered through AMBER Alerts, with at least 226 attributed to Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The ability to broadcast time-sensitive alerts quickly remains one of the most powerful tools in preventing tragedy, especially in communities without traditional telecommunications infrastructure.
Preserving Language, Culture, and Community Through the Airwaves
In many Tribal communities, public radio functions as both a communications platform and a mechanism for cultural preservation. In regions where news sources are limited, Tribal radio provides essential access to local information, public affairs and language-based programming.
According to the Alliance of Rural Public Media, approximately 20 percent of rural public radio stations serve areas with only one or two other daily news outlets. In parts of Alaska, Minnesota, Texas and North Dakota, these stations may serve as the sole source of local news and information.
The sustainability of this infrastructure often depends on federal support. Oi Zephier, station manager at KILI Radio and a citizen of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota and Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, explained in the February 20 episode of Native America Calling that potential reductions in federal funding could account for up to 50 percent of the station’s revenue. While KILI is expanding its digital presence, Zephier underscored that digital platforms are not a full substitute for the role radio plays in many communities.
Across Indian Country, Tribal stations contribute to the preservation of oral tradition, language and local knowledge. For example, The Voice of the Navajo Nation airs programming in both English and Diné, and KBRW in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, archives interviews with Iñupiat elders and shares language-based content with listeners. These efforts align with federal initiatives such as the Native American Languages Act and digital equity programs aimed at supporting Indigenous media and language revitalization.
“There is power in speaking and hearing your own language — from news to rap music,” said Victoria LaPoe, Ph.D., of the Cherokee Nation, a professor and member of the Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) Education Committee. “It makes you visible. It makes you feel connected.”
LaPoe noted that programs sharing Indigenous languages, news and cultural content are vital to community wellbeing. She described the defunding of such programming as part of a broader pattern of historic underinvestment in Indigenous media. Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, executive director of the Indigenous Journalists Association and a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, echoed this sentiment, noting that, “Public media is sacred.” Statements from IJA leaders reflect the broader understanding that locally produced media is essential to supporting Tribal sovereignty, identity and access to information.
FCC Policy and Tribal Licensing
To understand the impact of current federal threats, it’s important to examine how far Tribal broadcasting has come.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates U.S. radio broadcasting under the Communications Act of 1934. In 2000, the FCC issued a formal Statement of Policy affirming its government-to-government relationship with Tribal Nations and its duty to address the disparities in telecommunications access across Indian Country.
Following consultations with Tribal leaders, the FCC modified universal service and wireless service rules to encourage investment in infrastructure on Tribal lands. In 2010, it adopted new rules giving federally recognized Tribes priority access to apply for radio broadcasting licenses on their own lands. Through tribal radio stations, Tribes now create programming tailored to their communities and strengthen their sovereignty through cultural and language preservation.In 2011, the FCC further expanded access via the Tribal Priority in Radio Broadcast Licensing. As a result, over 60 Tribal-operated stations exist thanks in part to these protections.
Executive Order 14290 and Federal Cuts
Licenses alone aren’t enough, and funding is essential for sustainability. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), established by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, is a nonprofit steward of federal public broadcasting funds. Under the law, CPB is required to support underserved communities and strengthen the public media system. Around 70 percent of its annual budget goes directly to local stations through Community Service Grants.
On May 1, 2025, the Trump administration issued Executive Order 14290, directing CPB to prohibit any station receiving its funds from providing “direct or indirect support” to NPR or PBS. While the order targets national outlets, the ripple effects could impact Tribal and rural stations. Many share infrastructure, engineering services, or syndicated programming with larger networks. The order could sever these relationships and disrupt funding eligibility.
On May 27, NPR and three of its member stations filed a federal lawsuit challenging the order. Meanwhile, on June 3, President Trump submitted a request to rescind $1.1 billion in CPB funding previously appropriated through 2027. The House advanced that request to the Senate on June 12.
These actions have triggered deep concern across Indian Country. More than 30 Tribal and rural stations depend on CPB support. Any disruption, whether legal, administrative, or political, could devastate local operations in communities where public radio is not just essential, but irreplaceable.
Why Funding For Tribal Radio Must Be Protected
According to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and as reported by the Alliance of Rural Public Media, 32 stations, many of them located on Tribal lands, relied on Community Service Grants (CSGs) for more than 50 percent of their annual revenue in 2022. These grants represent a significant investment in local infrastructure and community-centered media.
In 2023, CPB allocated more than $147 million to support operations and programming for rural stations, representing approximately 31 percent of its total funding. While rural and Tribal stations often serve smaller populations and generate lower federal returns, they collectively raised over $553 million in non-federal support—yielding more than $3.70 in return for every federal dollar invested.
Despite this impact, most Tribal radio stations operate with limited staffing, constrained budgets and few alternative funding sources. Reductions in CPB funding could jeopardize the sustainability of these stations and limit the delivery of critical services.
In many communities, Tribal radio fills a gap left by other infrastructure; providing emergency updates, issuing alerts for missing persons and preserving oral traditions that span generations. Its continued operation supports not only public safety but also the exercise of Tribal sovereignty. Sustained federal support for Tribal radio is aligned with the trust responsibility and reflects the government’s role in promoting equitable access to communication services.