With the announcement that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will be closing down operations after the elimination of its federal funding, we at CAAM would like to thank everyone who voiced your support of public media, as we move forward in the process of writing the next chapter for CAAM.
Once again, I’m reflecting on how in 1980, Loni Ding organized a conference at UC Berkeley, explicitly with the goal to secure funding from CPB to create the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA), which was later renamed CAAM. While Americans often talk about being raised on PBS, CAAM and the Asian American documentary filmmaking community can attest similarly about CPB. Documentary filmmaking has been a fundamental influence to help the Asian American community discover our voice and to provide greater shared understanding of Asian America to the broader public. Hundreds of documentaries about Asian American experiences were made with support from CPB, and so much more amazing talent was able to grow and flourish thanks to the development programs and inspiration made possible by the support of CPB.
We would especially like to express our deep appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the leadership and staff of CPB. PBS makes the collection of local stations a network, and CPB helped to make public media a system. Our partners at CPB were great champions, encouraging a public media system and shared cultural touchstones that reflect a diversity of perspectives.
How will the elimination of CPB affect CAAM? The initial effects are crushing, a deliberate attempt to destroy public media and tear apart much of the progress we have all built together. CAAM has lost 40% of our annual income, and what was to be a moment of growth for the organization will now be about consolidation and pivoting. After spending the past few weeks reflecting together as a team, mourning what was targeted and eliminated, we’ll move forward with purpose, standing strong by our commitment to public service.
CAAM will guided by three principles:
Public Media – Even with the loss of CPB, we have dozens of projects we’re contracted to distribute through to the system, and CAAM’s commitment to storytelling for the public good, and not corporate profits, will continue. We will be working with our filmmakers and distribution partners about what comes next. The stakes are higher than ever, and CAAM must exert our experienced perspective to redouble the system’s commitment to a common good. Many have understandably expressed anxiety about what public media will become with the elimination of CPB, but the necessity of a resilient public media and public media you want is worth fighting for.
Sustainability – At CAAM, we are very concerned about the future sustainability of our programs historically funded by CPB. We are taking this time to thoughtfully plan how to adapt our business model and fundraising strategy. While rescissions to federal funding have been devastating, we are grateful for the outpouring of community-wide support and individuals that have immediately stepped up to donate. Your unwavering commitment is needed now more than ever, and we encourage you and your peers to continue showing up for CAAM, whether through direct gifts or personal advocacy via social media.
We are equally concerned about the ecosystem we’re a part of. Sustainability also must be about sustaining one another, retaining field talent and expertise, and ensuring the next generation can carry this forward. CAAM will be especially focused on rebuilding resources for our ecosystem and creative community. To this end, CAAM’s Campaign for the Future of Storytelling remains a priority to ensure a future where Asian American stories are preserved, and new narratives are told with utmost integrity and purpose.
Innovation – While this moment is a tragic reckoning, it is also decidedly a call to act, and must be embraced as an opportunity to innovate. Public media, independent film, media distribution, are all under historic stresses. Yet communities crave new storytelling experiences more than ever before. CAAM will be open to what the future demands and is actively redirecting our internal resources towards innovation with values.
These heightened values and commitments will be reflected in all of CAAM’s upcoming decisions, communications, program announcements, and how we function as a leading organization in the field.
We need you, we need each other. In the near future, we will be reaching out to our filmmakers and stakeholders to figure out the path forward, together. These are by design horrific times, and CAAM finds comfort in the inevitable, indisputable cycle that our storytellers and advocates always find the light. If you believe this, as CAAM does, please continue to support our work.
In Partnership,
Don Young
Executive Director, CAAM
Support CAAM’s Campaign for the Future of Storytelling
Since 1980, CAAM has been more than an organization—it has been a home for the stories that shape who we are and who we’ll become. If you care about the future of storytelling in America, please consider making a 100% tax deductible donation to CAAM. Supporting CAAM isn’t just about helping one organization; it’s about investing in the infrastructure that allows more diverse, challenging, and necessary stories to exist.
