When a Station Goes Dark, We Lose

By Loris Taylor, Native Public Media President and CEO

When a Tribal radio or television station goes dark, a community loses far more than a broadcast signal—it loses its voice, its lifeline in an emergency, its trusted news source, and its cultural compass. With the proposed Rescission Package threatening to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Native Public Media urges you to consider the irreversible impact this will have on American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages who rely on Tribal media every day.

Tribal stations are uniquely vulnerable. These stations often serve some of the most rural, economically distressed, and underserved communities in the United States. Places where broadband is scarce, newspapers are nonexistent, and commercial stations fail to reach or represent the people. If Congress defunds CPB or cuts public broadcasting support, Tribal stations will be the first to go dark.

And when they do, we all lose. There is a cost of silence.

Across Indian Country, 59 Tribal radio stations and three Tribal television station serve Tribal Nations. These stations reach more than 1.5 million people across vast geographies where they may be the only source of locally relevant news, emergency alerts, public safety announcements, language preservation, health information, and election coverage.

According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Native communities already face systemic barriers to participation in emergency communications and broadband access. Tribal stations close these gaps. They are local. They are trusted. And they are vital. Eliminating their funding undercuts decades of policy progress and public safety in Indian Country.

Programming and Services at Risk

Defunding Tribal stations will immediately result in the:

- Loss of emergency alerting capabilities, including access to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), especially in remote areas with limited cell service.

- Elimination of vital Tribal radio and television communications about missing and endangered persons, reducing the reach and coordination of the new MEP Alert across Indian Country.

- Termination of programming in Native languages that support language revitalization, cultural preservation, and elder engagement.

- Collapse of civic engagement coverage, including debates, local government meetings, and voter education in places considered "news deserts."

- Disruption of educational programming for Native youth, especially in areas where school resources are limited or internet access is weak.

Silencing the Next Generation

Perhaps most tragically, cutting funding silences Native youth who are just beginning to explore and express their First Amendment rights. Tribal media stations often serve as the first training grounds for young Native journalists, storytellers, broadcasters, and content creators. These platforms offer hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to journalism ethics, media literacy, and civic engagement.

In these spaces, young people learn not only how to use their voices but how to protect their communities through truthful storytelling, public service reporting, and cultural programming. Without these opportunities, it cuts off an entire generation and risks the loss of a democratic and informed society.

When we defund Tribal stations, we don't just turn off a signal, we turn off a pathway to participation, representation, and leadership for Native youth.

A Network Nearly 50 Years in the Making

Tribes and their citizens did not create a Tribal broadcasting system overnight. It took decades of advocacy, technical buildout, and bipartisan support dating back to the Public Telecommunications Financing Act and Section 396 of the Communications Act, which explicitly acknowledges the importance of universal service, including service to Indian Tribes and rural communities.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 reaffirmed this commitment by directing the FCC to ensure "access to advanced telecommunications and information services... to all regions of the Nation, including... Tribal lands."

Congress has long understood the importance of universal service and the need for strong, community-based media infrastructure. Pulling support now would unravel this commitment and push Tribal communities further to the margins of our national information landscape.

Civic Health Is Public Health

Research consistently shows that communities with access to trusted, local news enjoy stronger civic health, higher voter turnout rates, and better public health outcomes. Without Tribal media, Native citizens risk being left in an informational vacuum, disconnected from essential services, public discourse, and democracy itself.

The cost of silence is too high. When a station goes dark, the entire community loses not just the signal but also the service, safety, connection, and the voice that Tribal media uniquely provides.

We urge Congress to protect the investment that has powered Tribal public media since 1974. Preserve funding for CPB. Stand with Tribal nations and keep the signal on.