No Big Money For Public Television, Government Audit Finds

PBS, the U.S. public television broadcast network, has few places to turn for new funding, according to a government-commissioned audit.

Public television is a largely decentralized enterprise of 349 local stations, owned and operated by 173 independent licensees, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) notes in a new report. The GAO is the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress.

The stations’ operations are funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a nongovernmental entity that receives federal funds. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), a nonprofit organization funded by fees paid by member licensees and CPB grants, operates a satellite-based interconnection system to distribute programs to local stations.

PBS is known for airing such programming as Sesame Street, Masterpiece Theatre, and filmmaker Ken Burns' documentaries, such as that on the American Civil War.

Public television stations in reported annual revenues of $1.8 billion in 2005, of which 15 percent came from federal sources and the rest from a variety of nonfederal sources including individuals, businesses, and state and local governments, GAO says. Federal funds help licensees leverage funds from nonfederal sources. Thirty of 54 licensees GAO interviewed say that cuts in federal funding could lead to a reduction in staff, local programming, or services. In general, smaller licensees receive a higher percent of revenue from federal sources and 11 say that cuts in federal support might force the station to shut down, GAO adds.

"Substantial growth of nonfederal funding appears unlikely. The one area with growth potential is major gifts, which many licensees are pursuing with help from CPB," GAO says.

Public television sometimes benefits from business ventures associated with its programs, but these opportunities are infrequent and do not generate significant revenue, GAO adds.

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