The show must go on: PBS Guam to remain on air despite federal fund loss

By Jayvee Vallejera

Despite the loss of the mechanism that directs federal funds to PBS Guam, the television station will continue operations and is seeking permanent local funding to ensure its service remains uninterrupted, the general manager said.

Ina Carillo said PBS Guam, which relies on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for federal funding, will soldier on despite the agency's recent decision to dissolve itself.

“The impact is significant and crippling, but it will not shut us down,” she said.

PBS Guam receives over $900,000 annually through CPB, a private entity that directs federal funds to public television and radio stations across the U.S.

The corporation, created in 1967, voted Monday last week to dissolve itself.

Patricia Harrison, CPB president and CEO, said the decision was intended “to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.”

Ina Carillo

On Guam, both PBS Guam and KPRG receive federal funding from CPB.

Carillo said the CPB's decision eliminates a long-standing funding mechanism on which public media across the country, including Guam, have relied for core operations.

With the loss of that funding, the immediate focus is sustainability, Carillo said.

Both PBS Guam and KPRG have secured one-time bridge funding from the nonprofit The Public Media Company to maintain operations.

Carillo and KPRG general manager Chris Hartig applied separately for the Public Media Bridge Fund.

“Thankfully, Chris and I have been able to secure supplemental funding through this fund to support our stations and provide some breathing room as we regroup and move toward sustainability,” she said. “We will both use the funding to sustain our stations for as long as we can."

PBS Guam was awarded $538,000, while KPRG received $150,000.

Carillo said PBS Guam and KPRG were the only two stations on Guam approved for this funding.

For the long term, Carillo is clear about what needs to happen next for PBS Guam. That includes diversifying revenue sources, strengthening partnerships, advocating for permanent local funding solutions and continuing to serve the community.

The public TV and radio stations' survival will also require support from the legislature for basic funding needs, policy support and sustainable action, “especially in Guam, where alternatives and financial support from our community is limited.”

The CBP decision was not unexpected. Carillo said they were given advance notice.

“Information was communicated through official CPB communications once the decision was made, and we have all been preparing for this unfortunate moment since last year,” she added.

The public media sector has been undercut by massive budget cuts since 2025. Voice of America, which has been operating since 1942, has already shut down following staff and funding cuts initiated by the Trump administration. In July last year, Congress voted to defund CPB.

“I worry for our friends at KPRG. Chris Hartig, the general manager of the station, is trying his hardest to keep them afloat,” she added.

Carillo also said CPB's dissolution affects the entire Guam community, especially children, families, educators, seniors and residents who rely on free, over-the-air educational and cultural programming.

Internally, it also impacts PBS Guam’s staff, contractors and the local creative community that’s connected to public media services, she said.

The wider ripple effects are also a concern, Carillo said, because the decision affects rural and underserved communities across the U.S. that depend heavily on public media.

“I believe wholeheartedly that public media is essential, especially for children’s education, cultural preservation, and democratic engagement,” she said.

But belief alone isn’t enough, Carillo said. Public media is at a crossroads and will need local support to continue serving Guam.

“What is happening only shows how vital it is for Guam to have a stable, locally supported public media system with PBS Guam and KPRG,” she said.

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