As it prepares to shut down after nearly 60 years of service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be honored with one of the Television Academy‘s top prizes, the 2025 Governors Award. The news is bittersweet, as it comes following President Trump’s move kill federal funding for public media. In July, Congress passed Trump’s rescission package, eliminating $1.1 billion in funding that had previously been approved for the next two years — effectively closing the doors on the CPB, which is now winding down its operations.
The Governors Award Emmy will be presented to CPB president/CEO Patricia de Stacy Harrison, who has led the organization since 2005. Harrison is set to accept the award during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony this Sunday, Sept. 7. According to the TV Academy, the CPB was chosen for its “more than five decades of service in enriching America’s media landscape through funding and support for educational, cultural and public-interest programming.”
The CPB helped deliver funds to more than 1,500 local public radio and TV stations across the country, allowing them to operate commercial-free in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa. Those stations requiring the most support are in rural and remote areas, and often are the only broadcasters providing public safety information.
“The Governors Award recognizes and celebrates extraordinary contributions that transcend television and transform society,” said TV Academy chair Cris Abrego in a statement. “For more than half a century, CPB has been a steadfast champion of storytelling that informs, educates and unites us and ensures public media remains a vital space where diverse voices are heard and communities are served. With this award, we honor CPB’s enduring legacy and its extraordinary impact on the cultural and civic life of our nation.”
The CPB was first established by the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967 as a private, nonprofit entity authorized by Congress to help support local stations and also program investments. CPB funds have helped the production of PBS programs like “Sesame Street,” “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report,” “Nova,” “Reading Rainbow,” “Frontline” and more. CPB funds also helped develop and extend investments in closed captioning, descriptive video services and other media accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Under Harrison’s oversight, CPB helped support public broadcasters as they converted to digital and adapted to new technologies. CPB’s public media initiatives have included addressing the national high school dropout crisis.
“This is our legacy,” said Harrison. “CPB will serve as the foundation for the future of America’s public media.”
The Governors Award was first presented in 1978; past recipients include GLAAD, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Debbie Allen, Tyler Perry, “Star Trek,” “American Idol,” William S. Paley, Hallmark Cards Inc., “Masterpiece Theatre,” Comic Relief and PBS. Greg Berlanti received the honor in 2024.
The Creative Arts Emmys take place Sept. 6 and Sept. 7 at the Peacock Theatre at L.A. Live; an edited version of the ceremonies will air Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. on FXX (and stream on Hulu through Oct. 7). The Primetime Emmys air live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET.