PBS

The Public Broadcasting Service, commonly known as PBS, is a private nonprofit media enterprise that is owned by its member stations, which are U.S.-based public television stations. PBS receives large funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. PBS provides television programming and related services to 355 noncommercial television stations across the United States and its territories including Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, reaching to 73 million people in nearly 46 million homes in an average week through broadcast and online content. PBS oversees the acquisition of programs and provides digital learning content for pre-K-12 educators as well as a vast range of other services including fundraising support; video marketing; program distribution and promotion; engineering and technology development; new media ventures; and other educational services.

PBS offers a wide array of television programming covering different fields including Drama (such as American Playhouse and Masterpiece Theatre); History (such as American Experience); Fine Arts (such as Evening at Pops, Live from the Met, Live from Lincoln Center, and Great Performances); Independent Films (like the Independent Lens and P.O.V.); Science (such as Nova and Scientific American Frontiers); and Public Affairs (such as NOW, Nightly Business Report, Frontline, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer). PBS Kids include Sesame Street, Barney & Friends, Arthur, Dragon Tales, and ZOOM.

History

On November 3, 1969, the Public Broadcasting Service was formed as a replacement of the National Educational Television (NET), an educational television network in the United States that operated from 1952 to 1970. NET merged with station WNDT Newark, New Jersey to form WNET in 1969. On October 5, 1970, the merger was completed and on the same day, PBS officially started broadcasting. PBS took over several functions of NET, distributing public television programming nationwide; administering the national programming market of the stations; and operating the public television interconnection system. Additionally, shows that originally aired on NET continue to be broadcasted on PBS today, including Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

In 1973, PBS merged with Educational Television Stations, a division of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. The division was previously responsible for compiling data regarding fundraising activities; facilitating training for personnel and placement programs; holding regional and national conferences; representing stations before government and private agencies; and establishing an educational television program library service.

In the late 1990s, PBS YOU was created to provide 24/7 formal and informal educational programs and college-related fare. “YOU” is an acronym which stands for “Your Own University”. PBS YOU ended in the early part of 2006. In 1999, PBS KIDS was created to provide programming for children aged 3-17 as their target. In 2005, the program ended to give way to PBS KIDS Sprout, which was a venture by companies including HIT Entertainment, Comcast, Sesame Workshop, and PBS. Sprout was created to provide PBS KIDS programming through digital cable television channel and video-on-demand service; it also has a website that can readily be accessed by preschoolers and their families. In 2007, PBS World, a digital channel, was launched nationwide to provide round-the-clock PBS documentaries basically about history, science, and current affairs. PBS also created PBS-DT2, a feed of HDTV and letterboxed programming for digitally equipped PBS stations; PBS-X, a 24-hour alternative network; and PBS-XD, a new channel established for carriage on packaged satellite providers.

PBS distributes a major set of programs to its member stations; however, these programs are not produced by PBC, as member stations, independent producers, and sources worldwide produce these programs. PBS does not own its member stations either. State agencies, non-profit organizations, municipal boards of education, or universities in their community of license generally operate these stations.

Related Links:

A brief profile about PBS is featured on Wikipedia.

An overview about PBS is outlined on its official website.

A profile about PBS KIDS Sprout is featured on Wikipedia.

Details about the PBS Foundation are provided on the website.