Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
132607374
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Media, Communications Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,191,302
Expenses
$194,024,169
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATRICIA DE STACY HARRISON (PRESIDENT & CEO (THRU 02/26))

Highest reported compensation

  • TERESA SAFON (FORMER SVP, CORP SEC & CHIEF OF STAFF): $768,941 total reported compensation
  • DEBRA SANCHEZ EVP GOV'T EXT (AFF. & ACTING CORP. SEC. (THRU 11/25)): $734,725 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL LEVY (FORMER EVP & COO): $728,275 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

See schedule o

What it reported doing in 2025

Grants and agreements that support the operations and infrastructure of the public media system - see schedule o-community service grants: these were unrestricted general operating grants made to qualified public television and radio stations.-public broadcasting interconnection system: funding was utilized to maintain and modernize public television and public radio interconnection systems and to create digital infrastructure and efficiencies within the public media system. Interconnection systems are the set of technologies and operations required to exchange content and metadata between content producers, aggregators and stations.-fema next generation warning system ("ngws") included grants from the department of homeland security to help public media organizations replace and upgrade infrastructure to expand and improve alert, warning, and interoperable communications, creating a more resilient and secure public alerting system. The program prioritized public media stations serving underserved communities, primarily in rural and tribal areas. Fema awarded cpb $136.0 million in total - $40.0 million with a period of performance of fiscal years 2023-2025, $56.0 million with a period of performance of fiscal years 2024-2026, and $40.0 million with a period of performance of fiscal years 2025-2027. After congress eliminated all its future appropriations, cpb could no longer provide the administrative support required to manage the ngws awards and it notified fema of its intent to terminate the awards effective august 15, 2025. Cpb issued no subawards from these grants in fiscal year 2026; ngws expenses this fiscal year consisted solely of internal costs for final reporting and closeout. -other system support represented expenses for the general support and development of the public broadcasting system, including projects and activities that will enhance public broadcasting. Funded activities included grants to qualified public television stations to help operate their interconnection systems, grants to facilitate mergers and other operational efficiencies, music royalty fees paid on behalf of the public broadcasting system and various other system-wide activities and functions.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 99% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 8
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 91.3%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3,637.5%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 91.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $177.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $769K · 18 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $4.7M reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 17 filing years from 2009 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 572 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 556 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.