Yesterday, I had the honor and pleasure of presenting our 18th Public Radio Techsurvey to its coalition of nearly 50 stakeholder radio stations. This year, more than 17,000 people took our survey, most of whom are P1s to public radio stations – whether their format is comprised of music, talk, or a combination.
Public radio has had quite a couple of years, losing its federal funding last spring…and yet, living to fight another day. The Trump Administration’s “Rescission Act,” passed in spring of 2025 decimated the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the industry’s funding arm.
Some predicted the demise of public radio stations, with the exception of perhaps large market operators with enough support from fans and foundations to survive this political survival test. But an interesting thing happened. Public radio’s listeners stepped up, came through, and in short, saved the day. Last year, most stations recorded robust fundraising results, some setting records.
Joni Mitchell may have said it best, posting this existential question:
“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til its gone?”
Give public radio fans credit. They realized the weight of the moment, and they had public radio’s back. We vividly saw this in last year’s PRTS study. During the Trump Era, we have used this agree/disagree statement to test whether fans were willing to support their favorite public radio station even with turbulent political headwinds:
“As a result of the current political climate, I’m providing increased support to public radio”
From 2019 (when we first started asking the question) through 2024, the “agree” (strongly agree + agree) averaged 42%. So, in 2025, PRTS fielded simultaneous to the defunding. And the results were staggering.
A whopping 64% agreed with the statement, a meteoric rise that, frankly, I wasn’t totally sure wasn’t a wobble. Our research director (at my behest) checked and rechecked the raw data. It was correct.
Consequently, we ended up with a major headline for PTRS 2025 that would be retested in this year’s study. And so, that brings up to yesterday’s stakeholder presentation. Would the results to this question come in around last year’s level OR would they fall back into the 40’s, an indication last year was indeed an anomaly?
Yesterday’s reveal was eye-opening (and then some):
The percentage of agreement didn’t just match last year’s level – it exceeded it. Now, more than seven in ten (72%) of our public radio core sample indicated increased support due to the fiscal challenges being faced by their favorite stations.
Demographically, support showed up strong across formats, as well as our gender and generation subgroups.
For public radio operators and professionals, the data strongly suggested they have survived the greatest test of their careers.
But lest irrational exuberance get out of control, there is a caveat…and it’s a big one. The BUT in the equation is the state of the current economy. As a result of the so-called “affordability crisis” and economic inflation pressures, we created a new question designed to determine how respondents were feeling the effects:
Overall, one in ten (10%) says they’re feeling the maximum negative impact from the economy. All told, a majority (53%) characterize the effect as “major negative effect” + “significant effect.”
Obviously, that would logically suggest a fundraising barrier for public radio. When a majority are feeling the effects of rising prices on fuel, food, and other normal purchases, the logical impact is that it will have a dampening impact on donations and memberships.
So, to test it, we isolated the 10% who told us the economy is having the maximum negative effect on their lives. How do they respond to the question of support?
We added that bar to the bottom of the chart highlighted with a red arrow:
Impressively, nearly seven in ten (69%) of those most financially challenged by the economy plan to increase their public radio contribution this year.
This data speaks volumes about the loyalty, commitment, resilience, and ultimately, the wisdom of the public radio audience. The industry has been tested due to the political chaos of the moment. PRTS 26 results, as well as the actual fundraising performance off many public radio stations, suggest good grades in 2026.
But as our data shows, the fate of radio – including public radio – is a roller coaster ride. The inevitability of external pressures from the political realm, technological change, and other variables is real. Great content, audience connection, and brand trust can mitigate the pain.
No ifs, ands, or buts.
P.S. Join us for the free PRTS 26 industry webinar on Wednesday, October 7 at 2pm eastern. Register here.
President & Founder at Jacobs Media
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched – a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created – a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the “connected car” and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media’s commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
