WASHINGTON—America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) honored two members of Congress from both sides of the aisle at its annual meeting here with the “Champion of Public Broadcasting Award.”
Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Mike Simpson (R-ID) received the organization’s highest honor, “given annually to champions in Congress and state government for their extraordinary support of public television,” the APTS said.
Here are the announcements:
“Congresswoman Debbie Dingell has shown unwavering leadership as a champion of public television for her entire Congressional career and beyond, recognizing the valuable services public broadcasting provides to the people of Michigan and throughout our nation,” APTS said.
“Congresswoman Dingell has been a stalwart and effective supporter of public media,” said Kate Riley, President and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations. “Time and again, Congresswoman Dingell has shown steadfast leadership on our issues by consistently supporting our annual funding requests, helping stations address pressing infrastructure needs, supporting the efforts of stations like Detroit PBS to meet the challenges of the COVID pandemic and provide the highest quality resources to their communities when they were needed most.
“We greatly appreciate Congresswoman Dingell’s keen understanding of the unique role of local public television stations in the media marketplace and our extraordinary public services from education as demonstrated by the Michigan Learning Channel, to our role in public safety through the PBS WARN system and all that our local stations do to connect communities to each other and highlight the stories, history and culture that are uniquely theirs.
“America’s Public Television Stations are profoundly grateful for Congresswoman Dingell’s leadership and support, and it is my honor to present her with the well-deserved 2025 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award.”
“Public television stations provide an irreplaceable service by sharing public safety, educational and local programming, every day, for free, and remain among the most trusted sources of information for their communities,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “We must continue to invest in public broadcasting, which benefits every American, especially those in rural communities. I am honored to be a Champion of Public Broadcasting, and will continue to advocate for strong federal support for public TV.”
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell represents Michigan’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Natural Resources Committee, where she leads on critical issues including affordable and accessible health care, clean energy and water, domestic manufacturing and supply chain resilience, and protecting our wildlife and natural resources.
Growing up in beautiful Michigan, Dingell, who chairs the Great Lakes Task Force, has always been an advocate for the outdoors and commits her work in Congress to protecting the environment for generations. Congresswoman Dingell is focused on bringing people together – in Congress and in her communities – to support Michigan’s families and the economy. This is most evident in her work to strengthen the American auto industry, maintaining America’s competitiveness and ensuring good-paying American jobs.
Before being elected to Congress, Dingell – a self-proclaimed car girl – worked in the auto industry for over three decades, where she was President of the General Motors (GM) Foundation and a senior executive responsible for public affairs. She was also Chairman of the Wayne State University (WSU) Board of Governors and to this day continues to fight for affordable and accessible education in Congress. She chaired the Michigan Infant Mortality Task Force, the Children’s Leadership Council of Michigan, the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, the Baby Your Baby public education campaign that reduced infant mortality rates in Michigan, and has served on the board of Michigan’s Children, a statewide independent voice advocating for public policies in the best interest of children of all ages.
An active civic and community leader, Dingell is a recognized national advocate for women and children. She successfully fought to have women included in federally funded health research and advocated for greater awareness of women’s health issues overall, including breast cancer and heart health. She is a founder and former chair of the National Women’s Health Resource Center and the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Congresswoman Dingell currently resides in Ann Arbor. She holds both a B.S.F.S. in Foreign Services and an M.S. in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University.
Congressman Simpson’s longstanding support has been invaluable to advancing the public service mission of local public television stations, particularly those serving rural areas, APTS said.
“Congressman Simpson has been an unwavering supporter of the essential value of local public broadcasting stations and the important role stations like Idaho Public Television play in communities throughout the nation, especially in serving rural communities,” said APTS president and CEO Kate Riley. “He has always been an effective champion of public broadcasting, and we are proud to have earned his enduring support.
“We are extremely grateful for Congressman Simpson’s ongoing, strong commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to the essential local services provided by public television stations, from emergency alerts and warnings, to high-quality, educational resources and local programming and events that foster community connections. We are honored to present Congressman Mike Simpson with the 2025 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award he so richly deserves.”
Congressman Mike Simpson is a proud Idaho native who was born in Burley and raised in Blackfoot. Simpson graduated from Utah State University and earned his DMD from Washington University School of Dental Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduation, Simpson joined his father and uncle at the Simpson Family Dental Practice in Blackfoot before serving in the Blackfoot City Council and eventually in the Idaho State Legislature.
After spending four years on the Blackfoot City Council, Congressman Simpson was elected to the Idaho Legislature where he served until 1998. Simpson also served as Speaker of the House during his last six years in the State Legislature.
Congressman Simpson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1999 and has served Idaho’s second congressional district for thirteen terms.
Currently, Congressman Simpson serves as Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee on Appropriations. He also serves on the House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee on Appropriations.
