Editing Public broadcasting (section)

==== 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>