Public Broadcasting History
• Began as Educational Television (ETV)
• FCC’s Sixth Report and Order ended the
freeze in 1952 and provided for 242 ETV
channels (more were added later)
• Search for identity began
• 1959: NET
• 1967: it was proposed Congress establish a
national “corporation for public television”
Public TV Becomes Law
• 1967 LBJ signs Public Broadcasting Act
• CPB is established: a quasi-governmental
organization whose key role is to funnel
money into projects supportive of the
nation’s public broadcasters
Role of CPB
• Does not have long-term funding (has to go
back to Congress each year)
• May not own or operate station itself so
local stations retain autonomy
• Established Public Broadcasting Service as
a sort of “national network”
• Divvies up money between PBS and local
stations
www.cpb.org
FAQ: difference between CPB and
PBS
Public TV Funding (US)
• Membership: 22%
• State Legislature: 17% (usually part of the
education budget)
• CPB: 15% (Congress) Last year:
$8 million to FL, $379,000 to WMFE
• Corporations: 15%
• Local Govt.: 15% (WMFE now gets $0)
On the Radio Side
• National Public Radio
• Public Radio International
• Local public radio affiliates
Public TV & Radio Programming
• Local stations (WGBH, WETA, WQED)
• Overseas (BBC)
• Locals may air live commission meetings in
addition to public affairs programming
Types of Programs
• News: longer format, less visually-oriented
• History: documentaries (Ken Burns, etc.)
• Performing Arts: Boston Pops, Austin City
Limits
• Science and Nature: NOVA
• Instruction: This Old House, Victory Garden
• Children: Education
www.pbs.org
Links to all local member stations
Public TV Controversy
• 1995: Gingrich wants to cut all funding
• July, ‘99: Bill proposes a big CPB spending
increase for digital enhancements
• Late July ‘99: Angry Congressional
Hearings
• Sept. ‘99: Survey says 9% of PBS stations
us political mailing lists for fundraising
Public TV Controversy
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Late ‘99: Head of PBS resigns
2000: Kids channel launch (cable)
Pat Mitchell becomes new president of PBS
Summer 2000: big scheduling change
announced
• Fall 2000: changes take place… WMFE is
involved in the experiment
www.current.org
Online magazine about current public
broadcasting issues and affairs
Non-Commercial Cable
• C-SPAN
• Cable in the Classroom (A&E, History
Channel)
• Local public access (SGTV, Orange TV,
Ocoee TV)
Non-commercial DBS
• Must reserve 4-7% of channel capacity
(challenged in court but upheld:
implementation began in 1997)
• C-span
• WorldLink
Non-commercial Internet
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Not regulated
Many non-profits
Online learning
DONATIONS… unprecedented donations
collected since Sept. 11
Group Activity 2
Due Tuesday, Oct. 23
• Each member should listen to a
different program of your choice on a
local public radio station
• Go to your group discussion area and
write a few sentences about what you
heard
• Include some pros and cons about the
program