After more than fifty years of bipartisan Congressional support, today marks the first day nationwide without any federal funding for public media after the passage of the Rescissions Act of 2025, signed into law by President Trump on July 24, 2025. This previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting included a community service grant totaling more than $200,000 of annual support for Aspen Public Radio.
Funding for Aspen Public Radio from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has historically ranged from 10-13% of the station’s annual budget and paid for national programming from NPR; independent public radio shows like Marketplace, BirdNote, BBC News and Science Friday; Aspen Public Radio’s local newsroom bringing over 18,000 weekly listeners reliable daily local news and information, including local election coverage with Town Halls, candidate debates, and voter guides; remarkable local events like the Nonprofit Volunteer Fair and Backcountry Symposium; and emergency infrastructure providing life-saving alerts when mudslides and rockfalls cause road closures, deadly wildfires are burning, evacuation orders are underway, or cell phone and internet connectivity is out.
In response, Aspen Public Radio is announcing the launch of a Resiliency Fund to raise $500,000 by December 31 to replace lost federal funds previously appropriated by Congress for 2025 and 2026. This initiative also aims to raise funds needed to cover anticipated cost increases to the station for shared national infrastructure, and secure support for new administrative and fundraising efforts as station leadership works to build a sustainable financial future without federal funding.
“I have been so impressed by the outpouring of support from our community,” stated Aspen Public Radio Executive Director Breeze Richardson, “creating this Resiliency Fund will allow existing members and new members alike, the opportunity to provide the financial support for their local radio station, who they rely on in critical ways and want to make sure stays on the air.”
She continued, “To me and many others, this is fundamentally about democracy and civic health. Access to news and information is under attack, but public broadcasting nationwide will persist because of investments by local communities in this critical public infrastructure."
The launch of this Resiliency Fund is led by the Aspen Public Radio Board of Directors, who have pledged nearly $100,000 towards this $500,000 goal, with 100% participation by current Directors in support of the initiative, in addition to ongoing operational support to the station, which is a nonprofit organization.
To recognize major gift contributions, the station will be introducing new levels to the Aspen Public Radio National Council, including a Leadership Circle for gifts of $10,000-$24,999, Innovation Circle for gifts of $25,000-$49,999, and Inspiration Circle for gifts of $50,000 or more. Donor names will be listed online and in Aspen Public Radio’s 2025 Impact Report. Plans for a Legacy Circle, recognizing significant Legacy Gifts to the station’s endowment, will be announced in 2026.
The impact of federal funding cuts to public radio and television across the State of Colorado is estimated to be a loss of over $9.4M in 2026, impacting Rocky Mountain Public Media, PBS12, Colorado Public Radio, and 14 additional public radio stations licensed in Alamosa, Aspen, Boulder, Carbondale, Colorado Springs, Cortez, Crested Butte, Durango, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Greeley, Ignacio, Paonia, and Telluride in service to many additional Colorado communities.
For the 13 Colorado radio stations of Rocky Mountain Community Radio, over $2.3M has been collectively lost from 2026 budgets, impacting communities across the mountain west.
As regional and statewide fundraising opportunities emerge to collaboratively address these losses, the establishment of the “Aspen Public Radio Resiliency Fund” will ensure a balanced 2025 budget, raise critical funds for 2026, and provide a strong foundation for ongoing strategic planning as the organization works to sustainably fund the station moving forward.
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About Aspen Public Radio
Aspen Public Radio is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to support, nourish, and enrich our community by providing informative, entertaining, and educational radio and digital programming in a reliable and professional manner. The station is located in the Red Brick Center for the Arts at 110 E. Hallam Street, Suite 134, Aspen, Colorado. You can listen to Aspen Public Radio at 91.5FM and 88.9FM, along with other repeater signals depending on location throughout the Roaring Fork Valley, or by streaming the station at aspenpublicradio.org from anywhere in the world.