Guam’s two public media stations - PBS Guam (KGTF-TV) and Guam Educational Radio Foundation (KPRG-FM) - have been awarded essential funding through the Public Media Bridge Fund.
PBS Guam and KPRG-FM were the only stations in any U.S. territory to receive this grant.
PBS Guam has been awarded $538,163, while KPRG-FM has been awarded $149,973, according to a joint statement from both stations.
After Congress eliminated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting earlier this year, the Public Media Bridge Fund was established to preserve service in as many communities as possible.
The support is intended to sustain the delivery of trusted, independent, and educational content for the people of Guam and the Mariana Islands.
The fund provides a one-time infusion of capital to help stations:
- Maintain critical public media services after the elimination of CPB funding
- Strengthen operational sustainability
- Support long-term organizational planning
- Continue providing free, essential educational and cultural programming to the communities they serve
“We are deeply grateful for this support during a critical moment for public media nationwide. But let’s be honest — this one-time grant doesn’t fix our structural funding crisis. It simply buys us time. We still need a permanent, reliable funding source to ensure Guam’s only public media stations can survive long-term.” said Ina Marie Carillo, general manager of PBS Guam.
“Speaking for both our stations, “We thank the Public Media Bridge Fund for standing up for us! For their leadership and unwavering efforts to preserve public media during one of the most challenging moments in our industry.”
"After 32 years broadcasting on Guam, these funds will assist KPRG to continue bringing news, entertainment, and music programming free of charge to the Western Pacific," said Christopher Hartig, executive director of the Guam Educational Radio Foundation.
Both organizations emphasized that this opportunity reflects the strength and importance of public media in the region.
“PBS Guam and KPRG-FM remain committed to serving the people of Guam with free, high-quality programming that informs, educates, and inspires,” the organizations said in a joint statement. “This Bridge Grant marks a major step toward long-term sustainability for public media in the Marianas.”
The Public Media Bridge Fund is a strategic philanthropic initiative by the nonpartisan Public Media Company, which for more than 20 years has helped local public and independent media organizations expand their service and impact, strengthen their communities, and secure their futures.
The fund has received contributions from individuals and major grants from foundations, including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation, the Mellon Foundation and The Dolby Family.