The Newman's Own Foundation in Westport, Connecticut, has announced grants totaling $2.5 million over two years to sixteen public broadcasting radio and television networks across the United States.

The grants are designed to help preserve and sustain trusted and diverse sources for news and other informational programming. Most of the stations will use the grants as challenges to stimulate additional gifts, while two will use them to support programming and special projects.

The grant recipients are Arizona PBS in Tempe, Arizona; Blue Ridge Public Television in Roanoke, Virginia; Channel 5 Public Broadcasting in Reno, Nevada; Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network in Hartford, Connecticut; Florida West Coast Public Broadcasting in Tampa, Florida; the Foundation for Public Broadcasting in Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia; Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio; the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association in Arlington, Virginia; KCETLink in Burbank, California; KQED in San Francisco; Minnesota Public Radio in Saint Paul; National Public Radio in Washington, D.C.; North Texas Public Broadcasting in Dallas; Illinois Public Media in Urbana; WNET/Channel 13 in New York City; and WSHU Public Radio in Fairfield, Connecticut.

"Independent media is essential to bringing civil dialogue to communities," said Newman's Own Foundation president and CEO Robert Forrester. "We are proud to help these stations as they continue their important work in giving a voice to many perspectives."