Editing Public broadcasting (section)

=== Americas ===

==== Brazil ====
{{see also|Empresa Brasil de Comunicação|Fundação Padre Anchieta}}
In Brazil, the two main national broadcasters are [[Brazil Communication Company|Empresa Brasil de Comunicação]] (EBC) and the [[Father Anchieta Foundation|Fundação Padre Anchieta]] (FPA). EBC was created in 2007 to manage the Brazilian federal government's radio and television stations. EBC owns broadcast the television channel [[TV Brasil]] (launched in 2007, being the merger of TVE Brasil, launched in [[Rio de Janeiro]] in 1975, and TV Nacional, launched in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] in 1960), the radio stations [[Rádio Nacional]] and [[Rádio MEC]], broadcast to [[Brasília|Brasilia]], Rio de Janeiro, [[São Paulo]], [[Belo Horizonte]], [[Recife]], and [[Tabatinga]], [[Rádio Nacional da Amazônia]], a [[Shortwave radio|shortwave]] radio station based in Brasília with programming aimed to the population of the [[Amazônia Legal|Amazon]] region, and [[Agência Brasil]], a news agency. Starting in 2021, EBC expanded the coverage of its radio stations through the new [[FM extended band in Brazil|FM extended band]] to the metropolitan areas of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Recife, important Brazilian regions which did not have EBC radio stations.<ref name="agbr">{{cite news |last1=Ivo de Oliveira |first1=Pedro |date=7 May 2021 |title=EBC inaugura banda estendida FM e estreia programação em 5 capitais |url=https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2021-05/ebc-inaugura-banda-estendida-fm-e-estreia-programacao-em-5-capitais |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126001517/https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2021-05/ebc-inaugura-banda-estendida-fm-e-estreia-programacao-em-5-capitais |archive-date=26 January 2022 |access-date=25 January 2022 |work=Agência Brasil |language=pt-br}}</ref>

[[Fundação Padre Anchieta|FPA]] is a [[non-profit foundation]] created by the government of the state of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] in 1967 and includes a national educational public television network ([[TV Cultura]], launched in 1969 in [[São Paulo]], which is available in all [[Federative units of Brazil|Brazilian states]] through its 135 affiliates),<ref>{{cite web |title=Cobertura |url=https://fpa.com.br/cobertura/?_ga=2.197406502.884143948.1634790296-699539558.1634790296 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021051837/https://fpa.com.br/cobertura/?_ga=2.197406502.884143948.1634790296-699539558.1634790296 |archive-date=21 October 2021 |access-date=21 October 2021 |website=Padre Anchieta Foundation |language=pt-BR}}</ref> two radio stations ([[Rádio Cultura]] FM and Rádio Cultura Brasil, both broadcasting to [[Greater São Paulo]]), two educational TV channels aimed at [[distance education]] (TV Educação and Univesp TV, which is available on free-to-air digital TV in São Paulo and nationally by cable and satellite), and the children's TV channel [[TV Rá-Tim-Bum]], available nationally on pay TV.

Many Brazilian states also have regional and statewide public radio and television stations. One example is [[Minas Gerais]], which has the EMC (''Empresa Mineira de Comunicação''), a public corporation created in 2016 modelled on EBC, formed by [[Rede Minas]], a statewide television network and the two stations of [[Rádio Inconfidência]], which operates in AM, FM and [[Shortwave radio|shortwave]]; in the state of [[Pará]], the state-funded foundation FUNTELPA (''Fundação Paraense de Radiodifusão'') operates the public educational state-wide television network Rede Cultura do Pará (which covers the entire state of Pará, reaching many cities of [[Amazônia Legal|Brazilian Amazon]]) and Rádio Cultura, a public radio station which broadcasts in FM for [[Belém]]. The state of [[Espírito Santo]] has the RTV-ES (''Rádio e Televisão Espírito Santo''), with its television channel TVE-ES (''TV Educativa do Espírito Santo'') and an AM radio station (''Rádio Espírito Santo''), and in [[Rio Grande do Sul]], the state-wide public television channel TVE-RS (''TV Educativa do Rio Grande do Sul'') and the public radio station FM Cultura (which broadcasts for [[Porto Alegre]] metropolitan area) are the two public broadcasters in the state. Regional public television channels in Brazil often broadcast part of TV Brasil or TV Cultura programming among with some hours of local programming.

Since the government of [[Michel Temer]], EBC has received several criticism from some politicians for having an alleged political bias.<ref name="oglobo">{{cite news |date=11 June 2016 |title=EBC virou 'cabide de emprego' e símbolo de aparelhamento político, diz ministro |url=https://oglobo.globo.com/brasil/ebc-virou-cabide-de-emprego-simbolo-de-aparelhamento-politico-diz-ministro-19487534 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410023630/https://oglobo.globo.com/brasil/ebc-virou-cabide-de-emprego-simbolo-de-aparelhamento-politico-diz-ministro-19487534 |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=O Globo |language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Com desenho animado e programas chapa-branca, para que serve a TV Brasil? {{!}} Tela Plana |url=https://veja.abril.com.br/blog/tela-plana/com-desenho-animado-e-programas-chapa-branca-para-que-serve-a-tv-brasil/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410030441/https://veja.abril.com.br/blog/tela-plana/com-desenho-animado-e-programas-chapa-branca-para-que-serve-a-tv-brasil/ |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Veja |language=pt-BR}}</ref> The president of Brazil from 2019 to 2022, [[Jair Bolsonaro]], said in his campaign for the [[Brazilian presidential election, 2018|presidential election in 2018]] that the public broadcaster is allegedly a "job hanger" (public company existing only for the purpose of securing positions for political allies) and has proposed to privatize or extinguish the public company.<ref>{{cite news |title=Promessa de campanha, privatização da EBC fica para depois de 2022 {{!}} Radar Econômico |url=https://veja.abril.com.br/blog/radar-economico/promessa-de-campanha-privatizacao-da-ebc-fica-para-proximo-presidente/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410023729/https://veja.abril.com.br/blog/radar-economico/promessa-de-campanha-privatizacao-da-ebc-fica-para-proximo-presidente/ |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Veja |language=pt-BR}}</ref> On April 9, 2021, the president inserted the public company into the National Privatization Program, with the intention of carrying out studies about the possibility of privatization of the public broadcaster.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 April 2021 |title=EBC e Eletrobras são incluídas no programa de privatização |url=https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/radioagencia-nacional/politica/audio/2021-04/ebc-e-eletrobras-sao-incluidas-no-programa-de-privatizacao |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410023634/https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/radioagencia-nacional/politica/audio/2021-04/ebc-e-eletrobras-sao-incluidas-no-programa-de-privatizacao |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Agência Brasil |publisher=EBC |language=pt-br}}</ref> Some states often had problems with their public broadcasting services. In São Paulo, FPA had sometimes dealt with budget cuts, labor disputes and strikes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Castro |first1=Daniel |date=19 June 2015 |title=Funcionários da TV Cultura entram em greve por aumento e abono |url=https://noticiasdatv.uol.com.br/noticia/televisao/funcionarios-da-tv-cultura-entram-em-greve-por-aumento-e-abono-8332 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410065929/https://noticiasdatv.uol.com.br/noticia/televisao/funcionarios-da-tv-cultura-entram-em-greve-por-aumento-e-abono-8332 |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Notícias da TV |language=pt-BR}}</ref> In Rio Grande do Sul, TVE-RS and FM Cultura were managed by the Piratini Foundation, a non-profit state foundation. However, due to the public debt crisis in the state, in 2018, the Piratini Foundation had its activities closed, and TVE-RS and FM Cultura started to be managed by the Secretariat of Communication of the state government.<ref>{{cite news |title=Extinções da Fundação Piratini e da Cientec são publicadas no Diário Oficial do Rio Grande do Sul |url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/extincoes-da-fundacao-piratini-e-da-cientec-sao-publicadas-no-diario-oficial-do-rio-grande-do-sul.ghtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410065926/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/extincoes-da-fundacao-piratini-e-da-cientec-sao-publicadas-no-diario-oficial-do-rio-grande-do-sul.ghtml |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=G1 |language=pt-br}}</ref>

Brazil also has many [[campus radio]] and [[community radio]] stations and several educational local TV channels (many of them belonging to public and private universities).<ref>{{cite news |title=Televisões universitárias e a força das transmissões |url=http://www.observatoriodaimprensa.com.br/tv-em-questao/televisoes-universitarias-e-a-forca-das-transmissoes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410065927/http://www.observatoriodaimprensa.com.br/tv-em-questao/televisoes-universitarias-e-a-forca-das-transmissoes/ |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Observatório da Imprensa |language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=UPFTV transmitirá a programação da TV Cultura |url=https://www.upf.br/noticia/upftv-transmitira-a-programacao-da-tv-cultura |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410065929/https://www.upf.br/noticia/upftv-transmitira-a-programacao-da-tv-cultura |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=University of Passo Fundo |language=pt-br}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Radiodifusão: licenças e outorgas |url=https://www.abert.org.br/web/index.php/dados-do-setor/estatisticas/radiodifusao-licencas-e-outorgas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410065928/https://www.abert.org.br/web/index.php/dados-do-setor/estatisticas/radiodifusao-licencas-e-outorgas |archive-date=10 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021 |website=ABERT |language=pt-BR}}</ref>

==== Canada ====
{{see also|Canadian Broadcasting Corporation}}
In Canada, the main public broadcaster is the national [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC; {{langx|fr|Société Radio-Canada}}), a [[State-owned enterprise|crown corporation]] – which originated as a radio network in November 1936. It is the successor to the [[Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission]] (CRBC), which was established by the administration of Prime Minister [[R.B. Bennett]] in 1932, modeled on recommendations made in 1929 by the [[Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting]] and stemming from lobbying efforts by the [[Canadian Radio League]]. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation took over operation of the CRBC's nine radio stations (which were largely concentrated in major cities across Canada, including [[Toronto]], Vancouver, [[Montreal]], and [[Ottawa]]). The CBC eventually expanded to television in September 1952 with the sign-on of [[CBFT-DT|CBFT]] in Montreal; CBFT was the first television station in Canada to initiate full-time broadcasts, which initially served as a primary affiliate of the French language Télévision de Radio-Canada and a secondary affiliate of the [[Canadian English|English language]] CBC Television service.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Birth and Death of The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (1932–1936) |url=https://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/birth-and-death-canadian-radio-broadcasting-commission-1932-1936 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017213904/https://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/birth-and-death-canadian-radio-broadcasting-commission-1932-1936 |archive-date=October 17, 2017 |access-date=June 23, 2017 |website=[[Canadian Communications Foundation]]}}</ref>

CBC operates two national television networks ([[CBC Television]] and [[Ici Radio-Canada Télé]]), four radio networks ([[CBC Radio One]], [[CBC Radio 2]], [[Ici Radio-Canada Première]], and [[Ici Musique]]) and several cable television channels including two 24-hour news channels ([[CBC News Network]] and [[Ici RDI]]) in both of Canada's official languages – English and French – and the French-language channels [[Ici Explora]] and [[Ici ARTV]], dedicated to science and culture respectively. CBC's national television operations and some radio operations are funded partly by advertisements, in addition to the subsidy provided by the federal government. The cable channels are commercial entities owned and operated by the CBC and do not receive any direct public funds, however, they do benefit from synergies with resources from the other CBC operations. The CBC has frequently dealt with budget cuts and labour disputes, often resulting in a debate about whether the service has the resources necessary to properly fulfill its mandate.

{{As of|2017}}, all of CBC Television's terrestrial stations are [[Owned-and-operated station|owned and operated]] by the CBC directly. The number of privately owned CBC Television affiliates has gradually declined in recent years, as the network has moved its programming to stations opened by the corporation or has purchased certain affiliates from private broadcasting groups; budgetary issues led the CBC to choose not to launch new rebroadcast transmitters in markets where the network disaffiliated from a private station after 2006; the network dropped its remaining private affiliates in 2016, when [[CJDC-TV]]&#x2014;[[Dawson Creek]] and [[CFTK-TV]]&#x2014;[[Terrace, British Columbia]] defected from CBC Television that February and [[Lloydminster]]-based [[CKSA-DT]] disaffiliated in August of that year (to become affiliates of [[CTV Two]] and [[Global Television Network|Global]], respectively). The CBC's decision to disaffiliate from these and other privately owned stations, as well as the corporation decommissioning its network of rebroadcasters following [[Digital terrestrial television in Canada|Canada's transition to digital television]] in August 2011 have significantly reduced the terrestrial coverage of both CBC Television and Ici Radio-Canada Télé; the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) does require cable, satellite and IPTV providers to carry CBC and Radio-Canada stations as part of their basic tier, regardless of terrestrial availability in an individual market.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 28, 2014 |title=Broadcast Distribution Regulations (ss. 17(d) and 17(f)) |url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-97-555/FullText.html#s-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714150203/http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-97-555/FullText.html#s-17 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |access-date=June 23, 2017 |website=Justice Laws Website |publisher=[[Department of Justice (Canada)|Department of Justice]]}}</ref> Of the three major French-language television networks in Canada, Ici Radio-Canada Télé is the only one that maintains terrestrial owned-and-operated stations and affiliates in all ten [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian provinces]], although it maintains only one station ([[Moncton, New Brunswick]]-based [[CBAFT-DT]]) that serves the four provinces comprising [[Atlantic Canada]].

In recent years, the CBC has also expanded into [[new media]] ventures including the online radio service [[CBC Radio 3]], [[music streaming]] service [[CBC Music]], and the launch of online news services, such as [[CBC Hamilton]], in some markets which are not directly served by their own CBC television or radio stations.

In addition, several provinces operate public broadcasters; these are not CBC subentities, but distinct networks in their own right. Most of the provincial services maintain an educational programming format, differing from the primarily entertainment-based CBC/Radio-Canada operations, but more closely formatted to (and carrying many of the same programs as) the U.S.-based [[PBS|Public Broadcasting Service]] (PBS), which itself is available terrestrially and – under a CRTC rule that requires Canadian cable, satellite and IPTV providers to carry affiliates of the four major U.S. commercial networks ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[NBC]], [[CBS]] and [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]) and a PBS member station<ref>{{cite news |date=September 12, 1994 |title=Canadian cablecos to do the FOX trot. |newspaper=Alberta Report / Newsmagazine |page=43}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Etan Vlessing |date=July 31, 2009 |title=Canada-U.S. cross-border station shake-up |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/canada-cross-border-station-shake-87165 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726084805/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/canada-cross-border-station-shake-87165 |archive-date=July 26, 2017 |access-date=June 23, 2017 |periodical=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=[[Nielsen Holdings|The Nielsen Company]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> – through pay television providers in Canada via member stations located near the [[Canada–United States border|U.S.–Canada border]]. These educational public broadcasters include the English-language [[TVOntario]] (TVO) and the French-language [[TFO]] in Ontario, [[Télé-Québec]] in Quebec, and [[Knowledge Network]] in British Columbia. TVO and Télé-Québec operate through conventional transmitters and cable, while TFO and Knowledge Network are cable-only channels. Beyond these and other provincial services, Canada does not have a national public educational network.
[[File:CJAI-islandradio-summer2010.jpg|right|thumb|Amherst Island public radio]]
Canada is also home to a number of former public broadcasting entities that have gone private. [[CTV Two Alberta]], which is licensed as an educational television station in Alberta, was once owned by the [[Government of Alberta|Alberta government]] as the public broadcaster Access. In 1993, the provincial government agreed to cease to direct funding of Access after the 1994 fiscal year; the channel was sold to [[CHUM Limited]] in 1995, which initially acquired the channel through a majority-owned subsidiary, Learning and Skills Television of Alberta Limited (LSTA).<ref>{{cite web |date=1995-07-20 |title=Decision CRTC 95–472 |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1995/DB95-472.HTM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004135121/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1995/DB95-472.HTM |archive-date=2012-10-04 |access-date=2011-09-03 |publisher=CRTC}}</ref> To fulfill its license conditions as an educational station, it broadcasts educational and children's programming during the [[Daytime television|daytime]] hours, while airing entertainment programming favoured by advertisers and viewers in prime time. The service discontinued its broadcast transmitters in [[Calgary]] and [[Edmonton]] in August 2011, due to the expense of transitioning the two stations to [[Digital terrestrial television|digital]], and the fact that the service had mandatory carriage on television providers serving Alberta regardless of whether it ran over-the-air transmitters. The service has since operated as part of [[Bell Media]]'s [[CTV Two]] chain of stations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Applicant response dated 6 December 2010 |url=https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/DocWebBroker/OpenDocument.aspx?AppNo=201012616 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628081027/https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/DocWebBroker/OpenDocument.aspx?AppNo=201012616 |archive-date=2013-06-28 |access-date=2011-03-17}}</ref>

Public radio station [[CKUA Radio Network|CKUA]] in Alberta was also formerly operated by Access, before being sold to the non-profit CKUA Radio Foundation which continues to operate it as a community-funded radio network. [[CJRT-FM]] in Toronto also operated as a public government-owned radio station for many years; while no longer funded by the provincial government, it still solicits most of its budget from listener and corporate donations and is permitted to air only a very small amount of commercial advertising.

[[City Saskatchewan]] originated as the Saskatchewan Communications Network, a cable-only educational and cultural public broadcaster owned by the [[government of Saskatchewan]]. SCN was sold to Bluepoint Investment Corporation in 2010, and like CTV Two Alberta did when it became privatized, incorporated a limited schedule of entertainment programming during the late afternoon and nighttime hours, while retaining educational and children's programs during the morning until mid-afternoon to fulfill its licensing conditions; Bluepoint later sold the channel to [[Rogers Media]] in 2012, expanding a relationship it began with SCN in January of that year, when Rogers began supplying entertainment programming to the channel through an affiliation agreement with its English-language broadcast network, [[City (TV network)|Citytv]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-06-21 |title=Sask. TV network sold to Ontario firm |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-tv-network-sold-to-ontario-firm-1.897892 |access-date=2010-06-21 |work=CBC News}}</ref><ref>[http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/898133/citytv-and-scn-sign-affiliate-agreement Citytv and SCN Sign Affiliate Agreement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929132307/http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/898133/citytv-and-scn-sign-affiliate-agreement|date=2013-09-29}} CNW press release 2011-12-20</ref><ref>[http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/national/article/203765--citytv-expanding-into-quebec-western-canada Citytv expanding into Quebec & Western Canada] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509185944/http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/national/article/203765--citytv-expanding-into-quebec-western-canada|date=May 9, 2012}}, ''[[CityNews]]'', May 3, 2012.</ref> One television station, [[CFTU-TV|CFTU]] in Montreal, operates as an educational station owned by CANAL ({{langx|fr|Corporation pour l'Avancement de Nouvelles Applications des Langages Ltée|lit=Corporation for the Advancement of New Language Applications Ltd.}}), a private not-for-profit consortium of educational institutions in the province of Quebec.

Some local community stations also operate non-commercially with funding from corporate and individual donors. In addition, cable companies are required to produce a local [[Community channel (Canada)|community channel]] in each licensed market. Such channels have traditionally aired community talk shows, city council meetings and other locally oriented programming, although it is becoming increasingly common for them to adopt the format and branding of a local news channel.

Canada also has a large number of [[campus radio]] and [[community radio]] stations.

==== United States ====
{{main|Public broadcasting in the United States}}
 {{See also|Corporation for Public Broadcasting|Current (newspaper)}}
[[File:UIUC_Gregory_Hall_200511.jpg|thumb|The Gregory Hall on the campus of [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]] hosted an important meeting of the [[National Association of Educational Broadcasters]] in the 1940s, that spawned both [[PBS]] and [[NPR]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}]]
In the United States, public broadcasters may receive some funding from both [[Federal government of the United States|federal]] and [[State governments of the United States|state]] sources, but generally most of their financial support comes from underwriting by foundations and businesses (ranging from small shops to corporations), along with audience contributions via [[Pledge drive|pledge drives]]. The great majority operate as private [[Not-for-profit corporation|not-for-profit corporations]].{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

===== History =====
Early public stations were operated by state colleges and universities and were often run as part of the schools' [[Cooperative extension service|cooperative extension services]]. Stations in this era were internally funded, and did not rely on listener contributions to operate, some accepted advertising. Networks such as [[Iowa Public Radio]], [[South Dakota Public Broadcasting|South Dakota Public Radio]], and [[Wisconsin Public Radio]] began under this structure.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 21, 2013 |title=The History of Public Broadcasting |url=https://onlinempa.unc.edu/history-of-public-broadcasting/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826185136/https://onlinempa.unc.edu/history-of-public-broadcasting/ |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |access-date=June 21, 2017 |website=UNC-Chapel Hill Master of Public Administration}}</ref> The concept of a "[[Non-commercial educational|non-commercial, educational]]" station ''per se'' did not show up in U.S. law until 1941, when the [[FM band]] was authorized to begin normal broadcasting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Federal Regulations Title 47, Part 73, §73.501 Channels available for assignment. |url=http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=d39b27f095e10dca36d354445fd2b649&mc=true&n=sp47.4.73.d&r=SUBPART&ty=HTML#se47.4.73_1513 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208141114/http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=d39b27f095e10dca36d354445fd2b649&mc=true&n=sp47.4.73.d&r=SUBPART&ty=HTML#se47.4.73_1513 |archive-date=2017-02-08 |access-date=2016-11-22 |publisher=United States Government}}</ref> [[Houston]]'s [[KUHT]] was the nation's first public television station founded by Dr. John W. Meaney, and signed on the air on May 25, 1953, from the campus of the [[University of Houston]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us: 50 Years of HoustonPBS History |url=http://www.houstonpbs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511081424/http://www.houstonpbs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_history |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |access-date=July 19, 2008 |publisher=KUHT – HoustonPBS}}</ref> In rural areas, it was not uncommon for colleges to operate commercial stations instead (e.g., the [[University of Missouri]]'s [[KOMU]], an [[NBC]]-affiliated television station in [[Columbia, Missouri|Columbia]]). The FCC had reserved almost 250 broadcast frequencies for use as educational television stations in 1953, though by 1960, only 44 stations allocated for educational use had begun operations.<ref>{{cite book |last=Burke |first=John Edward |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FenfjvstLXUC |title=An Historical-Analytical Study of the Legislative and Political Origins of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 |publisher=Ayer Publishing |year=1980 |isbn=0-405-11756-6 |series=Dissertations in Broadcasting |access-date=June 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628045326/https://books.google.com/books?id=FenfjvstLXUC |archive-date=June 28, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Television in the United States |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1513870/Television-in-the-United-States/283623/Educational-TV?anchor=ref1057430 |access-date=June 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003032139/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1513870/Television-in-the-United-States/283623/Educational-TV?anchor=ref1057430 |archive-date=October 3, 2013}}</ref>

The passage of the [[Public Broadcasting Act of 1967]] precipitated the development of the current public broadcasting system in the U.S. The legislation established the [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]] (CPB), a private entity that is charged with facilitating programming diversity among public broadcasters, the development and expansion of non-commercial broadcasting, and providing funding to local stations to help them create programs; the CPB receives funding earmarked by the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] as well as through public and private donations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 |url=http://www.cpb.org/files/act/PublicBroadcastingAct1967.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017214200/https://www.cpb.org/files/act/PublicBroadcastingAct1967.pdf |archive-date=October 17, 2017 |access-date=June 21, 2017 |publisher=[[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hellewell |first=Emily |date=November 8, 2012 |title=How Public Radio Scotch-Taped Its Way Into Public Broadcasting Act |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-extra/2012/11/08/164624162/how-public-radio-scotch-taped-its-way-into-public-broadcasting-act |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921121156/http://www.npr.org/sections/npr-extra/2012/11/08/164624162/how-public-radio-scotch-taped-its-way-into-public-broadcasting-act |archive-date=September 21, 2017 |access-date=June 21, 2017 |website=[[NPR]]}}</ref>

Public television and radio in the U.S. have, from the late 1960s onward, dealt with severe criticism from conservative politicians and think-tanks (such as [[The Heritage Foundation]]), which allege that its programming has a [[leftist]] bias and there have been successful attempts to reduce – though not eliminate – funding for public television stations by some state legislatures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hagey |first=Keach |date=October 23, 2010 |title=Defunding NPR? It's not that easy |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2010/10/defunding-npr-its-not-that-easy-044056 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717063427/http://www.politico.com/story/2010/10/defunding-npr-its-not-that-easy-044056 |archive-date=July 17, 2017 |access-date=June 20, 2017 |website=[[Politico]] |publisher=[[Capitol News Company]]}}</ref>

===== Radio =====
The first public radio network in the United States was founded in 1949 in Berkeley, California, as station [[KPFA]], which became and remains the flagship station for a national network called [[Pacifica Radio]]. From the beginning, the network has refused corporate funding of any kind, and has relied mainly on listener support. KPFA gave away free FM radios to build a listener base and to encourage listeners to "subscribe" (support the station directly with donations). It is the world's oldest listener-supported radio network.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Meikle |first=Graham |title=Future Active: Media Activism and the Internet |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-415-94322-2 |page=71}}</ref> Since the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Pacifica has sometimes received CPB support. Pacifica runs other stations in [[KPFK|Los Angeles]], [[WBAI|New York City]], [[WPFW|Washington, D.C.]], and [[KPFT|Houston]], as well as repeater stations and a large network of affiliates.

A national public radio network, [[National Public Radio]] (NPR), was created in February 1970, following the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. This network replaced the Ford Foundation–backed [[National Educational Radio Network]]. Some independent local public radio stations buy their programming from distributors such as NPR; [[Public Radio International]] (PRI); [[American Public Media]] (APM); [[Public Radio Exchange]] (PRX); and [[Pacifica Radio]], most often distributed through the Public Radio Satellite System.<ref>George H. Gibson, ''Public Broadcasting; The Role of the Federal Government, 1919–1976'' (Praeger Publishers, 1977).</ref> Cultural Native American and Mexican American music and programming are also featured regionally. NPR is colloquially though inaccurately conflated with ''public radio'' as a whole, when in fact "public radio" includes many organizations.

===== Television =====
In the United States, the [[PBS|Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)]] serves as the nation's main public television provider. When it launched in October 1970, PBS assumed many of the functions of its predecessor, [[National Educational Television]] (NET). NET was shut down by the [[Ford Foundation]] and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting after the network refused to stop airing documentaries on varying social issues that had alienated many of the network's affiliates.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 14, 2000 |title=Articles of Incorporation of Public Broadcasting Service |url=http://www.current.org/pbpb/documents/PBSarticles69.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010406090018/http://www.current.org/pbpb/documents/PBSarticles69.html |archive-date=April 6, 2001 |access-date=January 12, 2008 |work=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]] |department=Public Broadcasting PolicyBase}}</ref> PBS would later acquire [[Educational Television Stations]], an organization founded by the [[National Association of Educational Broadcasters]] (NAEB), in 1973.<ref name="JARVIK">{{cite book |author=Laurence Ariel Jarvik |title=PBS, behind the screen |publisher=Forum |year=1997 |isbn=0761506683 |location=[[Rocklin, California]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Public TV Faces Fund Struggles |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SelHAAAAIBAJ&pg=805,469633&dq=hartford+public+broadcasting+television+gunn&hl=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906010404/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SelHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n_8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=805,469633&dq=hartford+public+broadcasting+television+gunn&hl=en |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |access-date=October 28, 2013 |newspaper=[[Record-Journal|The Morning Record]] |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=James Day |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dKYZynRiU6YC&q=hartford+n+gunn+jr&pg=PA137 |title=The Vanishing Vision: The Inside Story of Public Television |date=September 16, 1969 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0520086593 |access-date=October 23, 2013 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>