CPB distributes Community Service Grants (CSGs) to noncommercial public television and radio stations that provide significant public service programming to their communities. CSGs help stations expand the quality and scope of their work, whether in educational, news, public affairs or other programming - all of which represent an immeasurable value to the American people. Applicant and current recipient stations must each year meet a variety of legal, managerial, staffing and operational criteria for CSG funding.
CSG expenditures must fall into one of the following seven categories, which include salaries and benefits for personnel engaged in those activities (Additional information is available on pages 16-19 of the 2016 Program Guidance).
- Programming, Production, and Services
- Programming and Production
- Educational Programs
- Educational Outreach Activities
- Broadcasting, Transmission, and Distribution
- Program Information and Promotion
- Fundraising and Membership Development
- Underwriting and Grant Solicitation
- Management and General
- Purchase, Rehabilitation, or Improvement of Capital Assets
The substantial majority of each station's daily total programming hours broadcast on all of its channels, including its primary and multicast channels, must be devoted to CPB-Qualified Programming. The station must broadcast on a schedule of seven days per week, 52 weeks per year, for a total of at least 3,000 hours or 58 hours per week.