Guam’s only public media outlets, PBS Guam and KPRG-FM, have been awarded major funding through the national Public Media Bridge Fund, a one-time initiative aimed at supporting stations affected by the loss of Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding. PBS Guam received $538,163, while KPRG-FM was awarded $149,973, according to a joint announcement Tuesday.
The funding is intended to help sustain trusted, independent and educational programming for Guam and the Mariana Islands. PBS Guam and KPRG-FM were among the only U.S. territories to receive the grant, which supports operational stability, long-term planning and the continuation of free public media services.
“This one-time grant doesn’t fix our structural funding crisis. It simply buys us time,” said Ina Marie Carillo, general manager of PBS Guam. She thanked the Public Media Bridge Fund for its leadership in preserving public media during what she described as one of the industry’s most challenging moments.
Christopher Hartig, executive director of the Guam Educational Radio Foundation, said the funding will help KPRG-FM continue broadcasting news, entertainment and music free of charge after 32 years on the air. Funds will be disbursed in two phases, with 60% released upon completion of grant requirements and the remaining 40% contingent on continued service and compliance by June 15, 2026.