PBS

PBS
Basic facts
Location:	Arlington, Va.
Type:	501(c)(3)
Top official:	Paula Kerger, President and CEO
Year founded:	1969
Website:	Official website

PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 1969. The TV network offers commercial-free programming, and, though numbers fluctuate, about 15 percent of PBS's budget is from government subsidies. PBS offers a range of programming, from children's educational shows to news and entertainment.

PBS operates more than 350 affiliated stations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. Hartford Gunn Jr. was the founder and first president of PBS in 1970, which at the time was composed of 110 stations. PBS also has an affiliated 501(c)(3) foundation, the PBS Foundation, which was founded in 2004.

Mission

According to the PBS website, their mission statement is as follows:

“

PBS’ mission is to create content that educates, informs and inspires. To do this, PBS offers programming that expands the minds of children, documentaries that open up new worlds, non-commercialized news programs that keep citizens informed on world events and cultures and programs that expose America to the worlds of music, theater, dance and art.

”

Background

Hartford Gunn Jr., founder and first president of PBS

PBS began to broadcast its programming in 1970 and was founded by Hartford Gunn Jr., who, prior to PBS, was the general manager at, what is now the Boston PBS affiliate, WGBH. Gunn had helped to develop WGBH's television station, introducing cooking shows and musical performances. When Gunn became president of PBS, he was faced with financial problems partly related to the government's funding of the network and infighting among the 110 stations on the future of PBS. The networks did not agree on the direction PBS should take with its programming.

Annual funding, which came from Congress, became a point of contention when PBS and Jim Lehrer covered the Watergate hearings in 1973 and 1974. The Nixon Administration threatened funding to PBS over the coverage. PBS's second president, Lawrence Grossman, stated "There were tremendous fights, with the Nixon Administration trying to prevent public television from doing any public affairs programming at all." In 1975, Congress passed the Public Broadcasting Financing Act, which secured future funding for programming. The subsection of the act states:

“

A. There is hereby established in the Treasury a fund which shall be known as the Public Broadcasting Fund (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the “Fund”), to be administered by the Secretary of the Treasury. B. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund for each of the fiscal years 1978, 1979, and 1980, an amount equal to 40 percent of the total amount of non-Federal financial support received by public broadcasting entities during the fiscal year second preceding each such fiscal year, except that the amount so appropriated shall not exceed $121,000,000 for fiscal year 1978, $140,000,000 for fiscal year 1979, and $160,000,000 for fiscal year 1980. C. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund, for each of the fiscal years 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993, an amount equal to 40 percent of the total amount of non-Federal financial support received by public broadcasting entities during the fiscal year second preceding each such fiscal year, except that the amount so appropriated shall not exceed $265,000,000 for fiscal year 1992, $285,000,000 for fiscal year 1993, $310,000,000 for fiscal year 1994, $375,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and $425,000,000 for fiscal year 1996. D. In addition to any amounts authorized under any other provision of this or any other Act to be appropriated to the Fund, $20,000,000 are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Fund (notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection) specifically for the transition from the use of analog to digital technology for the provision of public broadcasting services for fiscal year 2001. E. Funds appropriated under this subsection shall remain available until expended.

”

PBS has been among the first networks to introduce new media and technology. In 1975, PBS WTTW in Chicago began using stereo in their broadcasts. In 1990, PBS began broadcasting with Descriptive Video Service for the visually impaired. PBS launched its website in 1995, making them among the first major networks to do so. In 1998, PBS became the first broadcaster to utilize HD technology in its programming. In 2009, PBS began offering their programming for free on their website.

Programming

Judy Woodruff interviews Chuck Hagel on PBS's News Hour, September 18, 2013

Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

PBS has an array of programming aimed at adults and children, but not all shows are produced by PBS. Below is a brief list of current programs.

• Adult programming
  • NOVA, science program
  • Masterpiece Theater, drama
  • Mystery, mystery
  • Frontline, investigative news
  • PBS NewsHour, news (formerly with Jim Lehrer)
  • American Experience, culture and history
  • Nature, science
  • Antiques Roadshow, culture
  • American Masters, culture
  • Julia Child, cooking
  • Ken Burns American Stories
• Children's programming
  • Curious George
  • The Cat in the Hat
  • Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
  • Sesame Street
  • Thomas and Friends
  • Super Why
  • Arthur
  • Clifford
  • Mister Rogers
  • Caillou

On August 13, 2015, The New York Times reported that the Sesame Workshop, the studio behind Sesame Street, had negotiated with HBO to partner up for the next five years to produce new episodes of the show. In part, production costs had exceeded revenue, creating a financial strain for the nonprofit organization. New episodes of Sesame Street, according to the report, will air on PBS nine months after their HBO debut.

2016 presidential elections

February 11, 2016 Democratic debate

See also: Milwaukee, Wis. PBS Democratic debate (February 11, 2016)

On January 11, 2016, PBS announced that it would host the sixth Democratic presidential primary debate on February 11, 2016. The debate was moderated by Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff. The debate took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were the only two participants. The debate was part of PBS's NewsHour and WETA, the PBS Washington, D.C. affiliate; Woodruff and the late Gwen Ifill were, at the time, co-hosts of NewsHour.

Both Ifill and Woodruff had previously moderated debates; Ifill moderated the vice presidential debate in 2004 between John Edwards (D) and Dick Cheney (R), and in 2008 between Joe Biden (D) and Sarah Palin (R). Woodruff moderated the debate in 1988 between Lloyd Bentsen (D) and Dan Quayle (R).

Leadership

The following is the list of the board of directors:

• Jon Abbott, President & CEO, WGBH
• Tom Axtell, General Manager, Vegas PBS
• Donald A. Baer, Chair; Worldwide Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Burson-Marsteller; Chairman, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates
• Afsaneh Beschloss, CEO, The Rock Creek Group
• Don Boswell, President & CEO, WNED
• Molly Corbett Broad, Vice-chair; President, American Council on Education
• Ernest Bromley, Chairman & CEO, Bromley Communications
• Erroll B. Davis Jr., Retired Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools
• Jack Galmiche, Vice-chair; President & CEO KETC
• Helen Hernandez, President & Founder, The Imagen Foundation
• Rich Homberg, President & CEO, Detroit Public Television
• Shae Hopkins, Executive Director & CEO, Kentucky Educational Television
• Larry Irving, President and CEO, The Irving Group
• Tom Karlo, General Manager, KPBS
• Paula Kerger, President, Public Broadcasting Service
• Allan Landon, Former Chairman & CEO, Bank of Hawaii
• Becky Magura, General Manager, WCTE
• Linda O’Bryon, President & CEO, South Carolina Educational Television
• Ramon Rodriguez, Former Managing Partner & CEO, Madsen Sapp Mena Rodriguez & Co.
• Robert Sachs, Principal, Continental Consulting Group, LLC and former President & CEO of NCTA
• Neal Shapiro, President & CEO, WNET
• Lisa Shumate, Executive Dir. & General Manager, Houston Public Media
• Brian Sickora, President & CEO, WSKG
• Evan Smith, CEO & Editor-in Chief, The Texas Tribune
• Leo Soong, Co-Founder, Crystal Geyser Water Co.
• JoAnn Urofsky, General Manager, WUSF
• Lloyd Wright, President & CEO, WFYI

Finances

While the majority of funding for PBS is from donations and contributions, upwards of 15 percent of its money comes from the federal government—roughly .012 percent of the federal budget—via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. For affiliates, especially those that service rural parts of the U.S., according to PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, government funding can make up as much as 60 percent of their revenue. Overall, about 75 percent of the funding set aside for the corporation for Public Broadcasting goes to public television, while 25 percent goes to public radio, such as NPR.

The following is a breakdown of PBS's contributions and gifts received, total annual revenue and the organization's expenses for the 2009-2013 fiscal years, as reported to the IRS. (Note: PBS's fiscal year is July to June)

Annual contributions, revenues and expenses for PBS, 2009-2013
Tax Year	Contributions and grants received	Total annual revenue	Expenses
2012/2013	$238,969,068	$484,948,541 ($186,544,605 in membership dues)	$468,299,613
2011/2012	$219,039,182	$434,409,851 ($182,659,129 in membership dues)	$462,923,593
2010/2011	$181,225,000	$404,301,637 ($183,189,229 in membership dues)	$451,809,048
2009/2010	$292,889,704	$505,595,972 (membership dues N/A)	$477,434,869

Statistics

Below is a brief overview of the viewership of PBS.

Stats on the PBS (as of July, 2015)
Viewership Annually, 86 percent of all U.S. households watch PBS. Monthly, 100 million people watch their local PBS station. Primtime viewership exceeds that of Bravo, A&E, TLC, HBO, HGTV and the Discovery Channel by as much as 129 percent. PBS primetime news audience 110 percent higher than CNN's primetime audience.

Affiliated programs

PBS Foundation

The PBS Foundation was founded in 2004 as a 501(c)(3) fundraising arm of PBS. Their mission statement is as follows:

“

The PBS Foundation solicits funding for PBS by seeking extraordinary grants and gifts. Working collaboratively with member stations, the PBS Foundation's fundraising efforts benefit and enhance the system as a whole by providing a source for revenue at the highest level.

”

Leadership
Below is the list of board of directors:

• Donald A. Bae
• Fred Berens
• Mary G.F. Bitterman
• Donald K. Boswell
• Wendy W. Dayton
• John Domaschko
• Julia I. Kauffman
• Paula A. Kerger
• Daniel H. Leeds
• Hon. John E. Porter
• Jonathan S. Raclin

Finances
The following is a breakdown of PBS Foundation's contributions and gifts received, total annual revenue and the organization's expenses for the 2010-2014 fiscal years, as reported to the IRS. (Note: PBS Foundation's fiscal year is July to June)

Annual contributions, revenues and expenses for PBS Foundation, 2010-2014
Tax Year	Contributions and grants received	Total annual revenue	Expenses
2013/2014	$5,305,666	$5,306,049	$3,762,430
2012/2013	$2,253,551	$2,253,551	$3,031,269
2011/2012	$2,289,116	$2,289,116	$2,776,430
2010/2011	$1,902,867	$1,909,777	$2,119,850

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms PBS. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

PBS - Google News

See also

• Nonprofit organization
• 501(c)(3)

External links

• PBS
• PBS Foundation
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as amended