CIPB How Public Broadcasting Works Currently

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U.S. PUBLIC BROADCASTING:
STRUCTURE & PROGRAMMING

Structure
The first thing that must be understood is that the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is not a television network, but a membership organization. Out of 1,500 television stations in the U.S., only about 350 qualify for federal support as public television. Of the 11,500 AM and FM stations operating in the U.S., only 1,650 are noncommercial and only about 700 qualify for federal support as public radio. Not wanting competition for their commercial programming, the big three networks successfully lobbied congress against structuring public broadcasting as a fourth network. Congress complied and created a highly decentralized public broadcasting service.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) acts as the fiscal agent for the service. CPB makes budget submissions directly to Congress and receives such funds as appropriated. To enable matching grants for program development, the CPB is forward funded in three-year cycles (a year of appropriations and two years of authorization). However, Congress and/or the White House always have the power to rescind previous authorizations. The CPB budget for fiscal 2001 is $346 million.

CPB, in turn, provides funds to PBS, National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International (PRI) for production and operating expenses. CPB also is supposed to act as a "heat shield" for political fire directed at the system by ensuring "strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature."

The CPB Board consists of ten members, no more than six from the same political party, appointed by the President and subject to confirmation by the Senate. The term of the CPB appointment is six years. No one may be appointed for more than two consecutive full terms. Historically, members have been appointed on the basis of political patronage rather than expertise. This has compromised the CPB's capacity to defend the integrity of its programming.

PBS membership is made up of the leaders of participating CPB-supported public television stations. The PBS national office has the responsibility for scheduling, advertising and transmitting programs to its stations. PBS is controlled by a board consisting of station managers, and representatives of the CPB, National Educational Television, and the public (typically heads of corporations, foundations and universities.) In parallel fashion, NPR is an interconnection system for CPB supported member radio stations.

Programming: Conservative Bias
PBS surveys stations on their programming needs and works with producers to make programs for national distribution and to provide promotion and other support services. Under this arrangement, large numbers of small stations in conservative pockets of the country exercise great influence over the national schedule.

It is not true that your donation goes to subsidize your favorite PBS or NPR programs. U.S. public broadcasting is supported largely by taxpayers and individual contributors (60 percent), with another 15 percent through tax-payer subsidized public colleges and universities and tax-exempt foundations. However, about three-fourths of all money spent on public television goes to cover the operating costs of the local stations; offices, studios, personnel, local programming and the rescheduling of the national program service to meet local station preferences. Only about a fifth of all money goes to making national television programs.

The Broken Promise of Public Television In contrast, corporate money is the primary source of underwriting for specific programs. In all, more than two-thirds of the cost of the PBS National Program Service is provided by corporate, foundation and other external underwriters. Moreover, PBS underwriting guidelines, while friendly to corporations, ban support from organized labor and public interest groups. Despite conservative claims of "liberal bias," this typically ensures programming that either is bland or conservative.

Program production is highly concentrated within the PBS system. Three stations provide more than 60 percent of the national schedule while more than 300 do not contribute anything. While independents produce nearly 20 percent of all national programming, most of their productions are channeled through the same three "presenting" stations. Public advocates, even if accomplished filmmakers, generally are not welcome at PBS. Very few stations produce programs for their local community.

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