SDPB faces SIGNIFICANT cuts in State Funding
NOW is the time to take ACTION to keep SDPB on the air
WHAT PRECIPITATED THIS CALL TO ACTION: In the South Dakota Budget Address on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the Governor recommended a 65% decrease in in the state budget allocation for South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
SDPB plays critical roles in education, public safety, and helps ensure open government for all citizens of our state. SDPB’s broadcast towers support State Radio communications, emergency and weather alerts, as well as SDPB TV and Radio broadcasts.
A cut of this magnitude has a snowball effect as SDPB’s federal grants are based on a percentage of local funding. Therefore a 65% cut in state funding, which is roughly $3.6 million dollars, would result in a subsequent cut of $1 million at the federal level.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
- Call or write your legislators TODAY and explain why SDPB is important to YOU.
- Share the URL for this page on Social Media and ask for others to join you in supporting SDPB
- Talk to your friends and neighbors and encourage them to take similar action steps
SDPB is ALWAYS…
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WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP: A cut of this size from state funding will force significant reductions to all of the services SDPB provides including one-of-a-kind local programming like Dakota Life, In the Moment with Lori Walsh, South Dakota Focus and live legislative coverage. SDPB also broadcasts and livestreams high school sports and fine arts coverage for all of South Dakota.
This cut is likely to disproportionately affect rural service, where SDPB’s services and programming are most valued.
SDPB has worked hard for over 50 years to earn the public’s trust and support. THANK YOU for using YOUR voice to ensure our state continues to have a viable, free, public broadcasting service for generations to come.