Voices Across Alaska Fund Awards $2.9 Million to Support Public Media

The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) has awarded $2.9 million in grants to Alaska’s public media stations through the Voices Across Alaska Fund, a rapid-response initiative created to sustain public broadcasting after the loss of critical federal funding.

Launched in July, the fund rallied donors across the state in an effort to protect a vital communication lifeline for Alaska’s rural communities. Since then, 143 donors contributed more than $3.8 million, including major gifts from the Rasmuson Foundation and three national foundations. This fall, ACF distributed grants to stations across the state, using a transparent formula to ensure equitable support for urban and rural communities.

“This fund was created so every Alaskan can have access to information that keeps them safe and connected. no matter where they live,” said Alex McKay, CEO and President of the Alaska Community Foundation. “Public media is the heart of how that happens.”

For many Alaskans, public radio and television are essential in providing timely communications and information to residents who have limited access. During recent storms that devastated parts of the Northwest Arctic and Y—K Delta, local stations delivered real-time updates, weather alerts, and critical community information that helped keep people safe. As communities assess the damage, those same stations continue to provide the on-the-ground reporting no one else can.

That lifeline was placed at risk this summer when the federal government eliminated key funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Alaska stations had received as much as $15 million annually through this support—nearly 28% of national system funding—reflecting the state’s vast geography and infrastructure challenges. Without that funding, local stations faced the possibility of closure or severe service reductions, particularly in regions where broadband access remains limited and costly.

Grants were awarded to dozens of public radio stations, based on each station’s 2024 Community Service Grant allocation from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, creating a fair and transparent framework to distribute funds across Alaska’s diverse public media network. KTNA-FM in Talkeetna received just over $40,000 from the grant. Several stations in Anchorage, including KAKM-TV, KSKA-FM, KNBA-FM received a total of $701,798. Other stations receiving grants included stations from Wrangell, Valdez, Homer, Juneau, Kodiak, and Petersburg.

Working with Alaska’s public media leaders, ACF created a statewide giving platform that complemented individual station campaigns and offered a simple way for donors, partners, and foundations to contribute to a collective solution.

“This crucial support helped KSDP recover from the loss of CPB funding, creating a pathway for transformation and renewal,” said Austin Roof, general manager of KSDP in Sand Point. “With this investment, we are reimagining local public media to better serve the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula – strengthening community journalism, amplifying local voices, and ensuring our region remains connected and informed.”