In Lubbock, reporters at Texas Tech Public Media rush from city council meetings to disease outbreaks, often driving their own cars to make sure their neighbors get timely, life-saving news. In Marfa, a single reporter and a team of volunteer DJs keep 30,000 square miles of rural West Texas informed and connected, from Alpine to Odessa. In Abilene, a newsroom of just four staff and a handful of students works tirelessly to bring award-winning local coverage to families who would otherwise live in a news desert.

Now, all of these stations—and 30 more across Texas—are in crisis. Congress voted to eliminate at least $17.7 million in federal funding for public broadcasting after pressure from President Trump, leaving stations to scramble for survival. Without that support, Texas communities risk losing access to the only remaining source of local journalism that is free, nonpartisan, and accessible even to households without broadband internet.

Public radio has never been a luxury. It’s how parents learn about school closures, how rural families track extreme weather, and how communities stay connected in emergencies. It is also a cultural anchor, uplifting local music and stories that would otherwise vanish from the airwaves. If these stations disappear, entire regions of Texas could become information deserts overnight.

This isn’t just about saving jobs for reporters. It’s about protecting the public’s right to know what’s happening in their own backyard. It’s about ensuring that Texans—from the oilfields of Midland to the cotton farms outside Lubbock—can hear their own voices and stories reflected back to them.

We are calling on the U.S. Congress, including the Texas delegation, to restore federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting immediately. Public radio is not expendable—it is essential.

Every day without action, stations are forced closer to layoffs, program cuts, and permanent closures. If we lose them, we won’t get them back.