Bipartisan Support For Public Radio Funding

A new national poll conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of NPR finds that two-thirds of Americans support continued federal funding for public radio, with broad bipartisan approval and high levels of trust in public radio’s role in emergency communication and community service.

According to the survey, 66% of U.S. adults say they support federal funding for public radio, and the same percentage agree that it represents a good value for taxpayer dollars. The sentiment crosses political lines: 58% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats back the funding, while 59% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats believe it’s a worthwhile investment.

The poll also found that 70% of Americans are familiar with public radio, and over one-third (36%) use it weekly – including 36% of Republicans and 40% of Democrats.

Public radio’s role in public safety emerged as a strong point of consensus. Nearly three in four Americans (73%) – including 77% of Republicans and 78% of Democrats – say they rely on public radio alerts and news for emergency information.

Americans also view public radio as a trusted and valuable institution in their communities. About 71% said it is a valuable service locally, and 69% expressed trust in the news and information it provides. That includes 64% of Republicans and 81% of Democrats who see public radio as beneficial to their communities.

The Harris Poll was conducted online from July 9-11 among 2,089 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The margin of error is ±2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.