This month’s Guest Blogger is Greg Kamp, Director of Marketing and Communications at Mary Cariola Center. Greg and the Marketing Team work with local media outlets to promote the Cariola brand. Greg is a Board Member, of the NYS 853 Coalition of Schools, serves as the Co-Chair of the Marketing Committee of DDAWNY ( Developmental Disabilities Alliance of Western New York), is a member of the Rochester Press-Radio Club, and serves as the Host of the Mary Cariola Radio Show on WYSL.

Why Public Broadcasting Matters

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has never been just another television network. Since its launch in 1969, PBS has served as a cornerstone of American culture: educating children, documenting history, amplifying local voices, and providing trusted information. Federal defunding actions by the administration, and the resulting dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) have renewed the debate about why public broadcasting exists and what is at risk when it is weakened.

Nationally, public broadcasting provides a shared cultural experience. At the local level, stations like WXXI demonstrate why this system is irreplaceable.

Access and Education

PBS was created to ensure that every American, regardless of income, zip code, or political affiliation, could access high quality educational and cultural content. From Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to NOVA, Frontline, and Masterpiece Theater, public broadcasting was designed to serve the public interest rather than advertisers or algorithms.

This mission remains crucial today as families face an increasingly fragmented and pay to read/view media environment. PBS KIDS continues to rank as one of the most trusted educational media brands in the country, offering programming that supports early literacy, and social emotional development, often for children whose families lack access to broadband or paid streaming services.

What Federal Funding Supports

Contrary to beliefs, PBS does not rely exclusively on federal funding. About 15% of funding comes through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with the remainder coming from donations and corporate underwriting. In reality, about 70% of funds go directly to community based stations, many serving rural, low income, or medically underserved regions.

When Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in previously approved funding in July 2025—following the administrations push to defund public media—CPB announced it would dissolve after nearly sixty years. Not only is money lost but with it goes shared infrastructure for emergency alerts, signal transmission, objective, solid journalism and essential services.

WXXI Matters

In Rochester and Finger Lakes region, WXXI is public broadcasting that is built on the foundation of excellence.

WXXI is more than TV and radio, it is an institution. Yes, it delivers PBS, NPR, and classical music programming, but it also produces locally focused journalism, arts coverage, and educational outreach that commercial stations just can’t cover. Through partnerships with schools, libraries, and community organizations, WXXI supports early learning initiatives, workforce education, and lifelong learning. The “Move to Include” initiative is near and dear to me and Mary Cariola Center. Issues on special needs education, disability rights, and caregiver stressors need to be heard-and that platform is WXXI.

In a region with educational and health disparities, WXXI’s trusted services reach families who might otherwise be left behind. For rural viewers, WXXI is the most reliable source of local content during breaking news, and culturally relevant programming.

WXXI’s programming reflects who we are as a community—spotlighting local news, historians, educators, nonprofits, and conversations that commercial media rarely have the time to cover. Losing federal support threatens budgets; and it threatens the connective fabric that binds this community together.

Cost of Defunding

Public broadcasting cuts fall hardest on these local institutions. While large urban stations may weather funding gaps, smaller market stations face stark choices: reduce local programming, cut staff, or even shut down. The loss would create information deserts and reduce if not eliminate access to communication. It would weaken a media space designed to prioritize accuracy, content, and public service.

What We Lose

Public broadcasting represents a community return on investment: for a fraction of the federal budget, Americans receive educational resources, cultural preservation, reliable journalism, and community connections.

Stations like WXXI embody the promise (and need for) public media—locally grounded, trusted, objective, and encompassing. As federal support vanishes, the future of public broadcasting depends on community engagement and public advocacy.

The real question is not whether public broadcasting continues, rather, if we are willing to let stations that serve everyone fade away.

Mary Cariola Center partners with WXXI through advertising and podcast sponsorship in support of their mission to inform, educate, and uplift our community.