CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

CPB is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting and the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services.

CPB’s mission is to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services. It does so by distributing more than 70% of its funding to nearly 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations.

CPB by the numbers:
 

• 408 grantees, representing 1,136 public radio stations
• 167 grantees, representing 362 public TV stations
• 248 of the total 575 radio and TV grantees are considered rural
• 99% of Americans have access to public media
• More than 70% of CPB’s federal funding goes directly to local public media stations
• Less than 5% of funding is spent on CPB operations
• $1.35 – Approximate annual cost per American for public media

CPB does not produce programming and does not own, operate or control any public broadcasting stations. Additionally, CPB, PBS, and NPR are independent of each other and of local public television and radio stations.

CPB strives to support diverse programs and services that inform, educate, enlighten and enrich the public. Through grants, CPB encourages the development of content that addresses the needs of underserved audiences, especially children and minorities. CPB also funds multiple digital platforms used by thousands of public media producers and production companies throughout the country.

CPB's core values of collaboration, innovation, engagement, and diversity, help to inform our program investments system-wide.