PBS CEO Paula Kerger Testifies on Federal Funding for Public Broadcasting

PBS's Mission and Local Service

• 🎯 PBS operates as a membership organization dedicated to supporting its 336 local stations across the United States.
• 💡 For nearly 60 years, PBS has utilized public airwaves and technology to educate, engage, and inspire the American people, a mission established with the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
• 📌 Local PBS stations provide unique content not found on commercial networks, focusing on community needs such as local events, high school sports, local history, candidate debates, and agricultural news.
• 🤝 Stations also partner with community organizations on issues like Veterans Affairs and the opioid crisis, and provide essential public safety information and emergency alerts.

Programming and Educational Impact

• 🎭 PBS programming originates from local stations, with examples like "Southern Storytellers" highlighting regional culture and history for a national audience.
• 🏛️ Stations collaborate on diverse programming covering history, science, art, and music, including forums for respectful idea exchange like "Firing Line with Margaret Hoover" and explorations of family challenges in "Independent Lens."
• 🇺🇸 Programs like "A Capitol Fourth" and the "National Memorial Day Concert" honor national ideals and service members, with future initiatives including Ken Burns' series on "The American Revolution."
• 📚 Children's educational programming is a critical service, with content designed to prepare young children for school and life, reaching tens of millions of children through free, universally available resources.
• 📈 Research shows programs like "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" help children develop essential skills, and nearly 9 out of 10 families trust PBS as a safe and educational media brand for children.

Reach, Value, and Funding

• 🌍 PBS programming is free and universally accessible, reaching more low-income families than any other media company and reflecting the diverse U.S. population in its audience demographics.
• 📊 Over 160 million viewers engage with PBS content monthly, and over 75% of Americans perceive PBS stations as providing excellent value to their communities.
• 💰 Public television is consistently ranked by the public as one of the government's best investments, with over 70% of CPB funds going directly to local stations.
• 📈 For every $1 of federal seed money, local stations raise $7, demonstrating a successful public-private partnership.
• 🗣️ Testimonials highlight PBS's vital role in communities, with one rancher noting that PBS shows helped his children learn to read and served as their connection to the rest of America.