UPDATE 8/6/25
The loss of $170,000 in federal funding is a significant challenge for WMRA, but it does not define our future. The heart of WMRA has always been the collaboration and resilience of our listeners, neighbors, and supporters. Even as we adapt to changing circumstances, our mission to serve our region of Virginia with trusted journalism and inspiring stories remains unwavering.
In addressing this loss, we are reviewing our expenses and identifying potential cost savings that will not significantly reduce our broadcast service. At the same time, we have decided to make more investments in our local journalism capacity by converting a part-time role to full-time with local reporting as added duties.
As this year unfolds, we know that the road ahead will require innovation, determination, and—above all—a renewed commitment to our community. You make it possible for us to foster deeper local connections and uphold the civic role that public media has played for generations.
Thank you to all who have already increased their support of our work!
Matt Bingay
General Manager, WMRA & WEMC
ORIGINAL POST - 7/17/25
Following the Senate vote to rescind congressionally appropriated funding for The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The House has has now passed the amended H.R 4 bill. For WMRA, this represents a loss of $170,000, which is about 11% of our annual budget.
The permanent loss of 11% of our budget will certainly be a difficult hurdle to overcome, but our mission to serve this region of Virginia stays the same. While we are now moving into an uncharted future, our commitment to you will never waver.
This is the moment to join our community of supporters. You can help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions. You can amplify powerful stories, lift up voices too often ignored, connect people through music, and bring joy to lives nationwide.
We will fight to restore federal funding. In the meantime, your donation is more critical now than it has ever been. Every dollar helps. To help us best plan for the road ahead, please consider committing now to a recurring donation.
Stand with public media and make your gift today. Not just for yourself, but for the millions who benefit from a trusted resource, a reliable companion, and a civic cornerstone.
The majority of funding for our service comes from listeners like you, who have allowed us to build our local news department to one of stature, recently collecting three more Virginia and National Awards. Local support has provided us the ability to reach out to our communities, with the WMRA Listening Tour underway this summer. It’s listener support that powers our independent and unbiased programming.
WMRA, NPR and a remarkable network of local stations will fight to continue to bring you rigorous journalism, courageous storytelling, inspired music discovery, and the kind of reporting that democracy depends on — every day, without fear or favor. That is the promise of a free press in a democracy. It's in the First Amendment. It is core to the mission of WMRA and to all of public media.