BINGHAM FARMS, MICHIGAN — Public radio’s most engaged listeners are reporting stronger financial support for their stations even while many say household finances are under pressure, according to early results from Jacobs Media’s Public Radio Techsurvey 2026.
Seventy-two percent of respondents agreed that the current political climate has led them to increase support for public radio, up from 64% in 2025 and 37% in 2024. At the same time, 53% reported a major or significant negative financial impact on their households.
The sample matters
The finding should not be read as a measure of all Americans. Jacobs designed the Public Radio Techsurvey specifically around public radio’s core listeners and supporters — people who already listen, donate or actively engage with participating stations.
That makes the data especially useful for station fundraising and audience strategy, but it is not a general-population opinion poll.
Radio World reported that even among respondents describing the maximum level of economic impact, roughly seven in ten still said they were increasing support for public radio.
The result suggests that stations facing funding uncertainty may still have substantial loyalty inside their most committed audience. The operational challenge will be converting that loyalty into sustainable membership, recurring giving and digital engagement without assuming the core sample represents casual or non-listeners.
Jacobs Media is scheduled to present the full Public Radio Techsurvey 2026 results during an October 7 webinar.
Sources: Radio Ink, September 28, 2026; Radio World, September 25, 2026; Jacobs Media.