Stephen Colbert speaks out in support of public media as the industry is forced to deal with a future without funding from Washington DC.

Following the Trump administration’s cutting over $1.1 billion from public media, New York Public Radio has sought support from other sources, such as private donors, to stay afloat. The Stand With Public Media gala, which honored Colbert and his wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert, raised $1.7 million. During the event, Colbert stated that he hopes future administrations won’t continue the current trend of cutting the budget for the industry.

In an interview with Variety, Colbert admitted that the future of public media seems very uncertain. He also explained how the country needs these organizations so they can hear perspectives from all sides without any restrictions. He added that these outlets also offer the local community a sense of belonging, and it is wrong to strip that away from citizens.

I have no idea whether it’ll continue into the future, and I hope it won’t. So many people value what public media can give them. In a lot of communities around the United States, public radio is the only local news because local newspapers have failed. It gives people a sense of community, lets them know what’s happening in and around where they live. And so it’s really critical that these stations continue.

Despite Colbert’s hopeful outlook, LaFontaine Oliver, president and CEO of New York Public Radio, is less optimistic. He emphasized that they must all plan for a complete cutoff from federal funding that could potentially be permanent or, at the very least, for a long time. His statements convey the urgency of the matter and how they all need to be prepared to face that reality.

We have to look for new revenue pathways,” Oliver explained. “We have to connect to our communities and audiences in different ways. It means we’re looking for institutional funders and philanthropists to ideally step up. We’ll look for ways to monetize the content we produce. This is a time of reinvention for our system. And that spirit of reinvention will serve us, even if federal funding comes back in some slice or portion.

Colbert and his wife also stressed the fact that the people who work in public media are the ones who are telling the truth because they’re not making any profits from sponsors. And, they’re not the only ones. Studies have shown that most Americans trust the local radio or news stations more than big national for-profit ones.

I think people in the public media space are telling us the facts. It’s really hard to go to places now that are unbiased, independent and purely factually-based. And because it’s commercial-free news, you get a longer exploration of the story. You could spend 20 or 30 minutes on a story, rather than 7 minutes. That’d be a long time on cable news. And I can also cook while I’m doing it. I don’t have to look at anything.