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Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States, with some member stations available in Canada. It is owned collectively by its member stations.[1] However, its operations are largely funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Its headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is the most prominent provider of programming to U.S. public television stations, distributing acclaimed series such as The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Masterpiece, and Frontline. Since the mid-2000s, Roper polls commissioned by PBS have consistently placed the service as America's most trusted national institution.[2] However, PBS is not responsible for all programming carried on public TV stations; in fact, stations usually receive a large portion of their content (including most pledge drive specials) from third-party sources, such as American Public Television, NETA, and independent producers. This distinction is a frequent source of viewer confusion.[3]
Overview
PBS logo (1971-1984) Unlike the model of America's commercial television networks, in which affiliates give up portions of their local advertising airtime in exchange for network programming, PBS member stations pay substantial fees for the shows acquired and distributed by the national organization. This relationship means that PBS member stations have greater latitude in local scheduling than their commercial counterparts. Scheduling of PBS-distributed series may vary greatly from market to market. This can be a source of tension as stations seek to preserve their localism and PBS strives to market a consistent national line-up. However, PBS has a policy of "common carriage" requiring most stations to clear the national prime time programs on a common schedule, so that they can be more effectively marketed on a national basis. This setup is in many ways similar to the pre-2002 British ITV system of having some "networked" programs shown nationwide on all network contractors, and the remainder of scheduling being up to individual affiliates. Unlike its radio counterpart, National Public Radio, PBS has no central program production arm or news department. All of the programming carried by PBS, whether news, documentary, or entertainment, is created by (or in most cases produced under contract with) other parties, such as individual member stations. WGBH in Boston is one of the largest producers of educational programming. News programs are produced by WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., WNET in New York and WPBT in Miami. The Charlie Rose interview show, Secrets of the Dead, NOW on PBS, Nature, Cyberchase, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer come from or through WNET in New York. Once a program is offered to and accepted by PBS for distribution, PBS (and not the member station that supplied the program) retains exclusive rights for rebroadcasts during the period for which such rights were granted; the suppliers do maintain the right to sell the program in non-broadcast media such as DVDs, books, and sometimes PBS licensed merchandise (but sometimes grant such ancillary rights as well to PBS). PBS stations are commonly operated by non-profit organizations, state agencies, local authorities (e.g., municipal boards of education), or universities in their community of license. In some states, PBS stations throughout the entire state may be organized into a single regional "subnetwork" (e.g., Alabama Public Television). Unlike Canada's CBC/SRC, PBS does not own any of the stations that broadcast its programming. This is partly due to the origins of the PBS stations themselves, and partly due to historical license issues. In the modern broadcast marketplace, this organizational structure is considered outmoded by some media critics. A common restructuring proposal is to reorganize the network so that each state would have one PBS affiliate which would broadcast state-wide. However, this proposal is controversial, as it would reduce local community input into PBS programming, especially considering how PBS stations are significantly more community-oriented, according to the argument, than their commercial counterparts. "Viewers Like You"On programs where viewers of PBS contributed to the production costs, the phrase "Viewers Like You" is used to indicate PBS's gratitude to the contributors. As is the case with all other underwriters, the phrase appears at the start and end of all PBS programs with viewer contributions. The phrase began to appear on underwriting credits on July 1, 1988. Prior to 1988, donations by viewers of PBS members were recognized with the as contributions from "this station or other public television stations" or "public television stations". At first, the underwriting announcement was: On October 4, 1993, the announcement was slightly changed to: or: This would be accompanied by an on-screen slide with the words "Viewers Like You". In some cases the final portion was shortened to "...and by viewers like you." The "Viewers Like You" statement was usually, but not necessarily always, the last part of this announcement, usually preceded by a reference to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ("a private corporation funded by the American people") and to one or more other foundations or corporate sponsors. This version may still be occasionally seen today on programs originally produced prior to 1999. Since November 1, 1999, the PBS underwriting guidelines have required all announcements to say: Under this new policy, the "Viewers Like You" slide is now required to be followed by another slide reading "Thank You", both now coming at the very end of the underwriter credits. The specific reasons for this new addition are unknown. PBS usually produces its own versions of the "Viewers Like You" element, often reflecting the system's most recent brand image, although producers are under no obligation to use this version. There has been an exception with Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, where Fred Rogers has worded the announcement differently as in, for example: The people who give the money to make Mister Rogers' Neighborhood are the people who contribute to this and other public television stations, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (and/or The Sears-Roebuck Foundation). This series never used the "Viewers Like You" phrase, but added "We Thank You" on episodes after 2000. Also, 1992–1998 episodes of Sesame Street used this announcement, voiced by Roscoe Orman, who plays Gordon Robinson on Sesame Street: "Funding for this program is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting... and by public television stations and their contributors." On pre-1992 episodes, "viewers like you" is not used, Sesame Workshop instead opted to use "public television stations" as they had done in the past. In pre-1992 episodes of Sesame Street, no announcer was used, rather music played over a slide displaying funding. Underwriter announcements on rebroadcasts of the Wishbone series still use the original phrase, omitting the "Thank You" that was mandated in 1999. Some programs, such as Learn to Read, do not get funding from the stations or "Viewers Like You", only receiving funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and/or other donors. ProgrammingPBS' evening schedule emphasizes areas including:
PBS (as PBS Kids) has distributed a number of highly regarded children's shows such as:
PBS Kids has also imported British children's series (for example, Tots TV, Teletubbies, Boohbah, and Thomas the Tank Engine), as well as children's shows from Canada (i.e., The Big Comfy Couch, Theodore Tugboat, Wimzie's House and Polka Dot Door). On June 4, 2007, their first imported Australian children's TV series debuted on PBS-- Raggs. Some of the programs subsequently moved to commercial television (for example, Ghostwriter, and The Magic School Bus). However, PBS is not the only distributor of public television programming to the member stations. Other distributors have emerged from the roots of the old companies that had loosely held regional public television stations in the 1960s. Boston-based American Public Television (former names include Eastern Educational Network and American Program Service) is second only to PBS for distributing programs to U.S. non-commercial stations. Another distributor is NETA (formerly SECA), whose properties have included The Shapies and Jerry Yarnell School of Fine Art. In addition, the member stations themselves also produce a variety of local shows, some of which subsequently receive national distribution through PBS or the other distributors. PBS stations are known for rebroadcasting British television costume dramas and comedies (acquired from the BBC and other sources); consequently, it has been joked that PBS means "Primarily British Series". However, a significant amount of sharing takes place. The BBC and other media outlets in the region such as Channel 4 often cooperate with PBS stations, producing material that is shown on both sides of the Atlantic. Less frequently, Canadian, Australian, and other international programming appears on PBS stations (such as The Red Green Show, currently distributed by syndicator Executive Program Services); the public broadcasting syndicators are more likely to offer this programming to the U.S. public stations. It also uses the new slogan "On" then the station name. PBS is also known for re-broadcasting British science fiction and slapstick comedy programs such as Doctor Who and Red Dwarf, and Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Benny Hill Show. Contributing stationsStations and/or networks that have produced or presented PBS-distributed programming include:
See article: List of programs broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service Criticism and controversyPBS has been the subject of some controversy.
Political/ideological bias
PBS networks
PBS has also spun off a number of TV networks, often in partnership with other media companies: PBS YOU (ended January 2006, and largely succeeded by American Public Television's Create), PBS KIDS (ended October 1, 2005), PBS KIDS Sprout, PBS World (commenced August 15, 2007), and PBS-DT2 (a feed of HDTV and letterboxed programming for digitally equipped member stations), along with packages of PBS programs that are similar to local stations' programming, the PBS Satellite Service feeds. PBS Kids Go! was promised for October 2006, but PBS announced in July that they would not be going forward with it as an independent network feed (as opposed to the pre-existing two-hour week daily block on PBS). Some or all are available on many digital cable systems, on free-to-air TV via communications satellites[12], as well as via DirecTV direct broadcast satellite. With the transition to terrestrial digital television broadcasts, many are also often now available as "multiplexed" channels on some local stations' standard-definition digital signals, while DT2 is found among the HD signals. PBS Kids announced that they will have an early-morning Miss Lori and Hooper block with four PBS Kids shows usually around 08:00 (school time, although kids this age usually do not go to school). With the absence of advertising, network identification on these PBS networks were limited to utilization at the end of the program, which includes the standard series of bumpers from the "Be More" campaign. PBS KidsPBS SportsThe network has shown some sporting events in its history. During the 1970s and 1980s PBS was the leading American tennis broadcaster.[13][14] Bud Collins and Donald Dell were PBS announcers. PBS was the first American network to regularly broadcast tennis tournaments. PBS also broadcast "Tennis for the Future," hosted by Vic Braden.[15] In 1982, PBS and ESPN provided the first thorough American television coverage of the FIFA World Cup. PBS aired same day highlights of the top game of the day. Toby Charles was PBS' play by play announcer. From 1984 to 1987, PBS broadcast Ivy League football. Dick Galiette and Upton Bell called games for the first season and Marty Glickman and Bob Casciola called the games in 1985. In 1986, PBS increased its coverage and had two announcing teams, Brian Dowling and Sean McDonough, who had been the sideline reporter for the prior two seasons were the play by play announcers and Bob Casciola and Len Simonian were the color analysts. For the final season McDonough and Jack Corrigan were the game announcers and Mike Madden was the sideline reporter.[16] Another PBS Sports series was "The Sporting Life", an interview series hosted by Jim Palmer.[17] The Sporting Life premiered in 1985 and was canceled soon after. Many state public broadcasting stations, such as Georgia Public Broadcasting, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, and Nebraska Educational Television, broadcast high school sports championships, and college sports games not seen on commercial TV (such as baseball, gymnastics, tennis, etc.). ReferencesFurther reading
See also
External links
ca:Public Broadcasting Service de:Public Broadcasting Service es:Public Broadcasting Service fa:???????? fr:Public Broadcasting Service id:Public Broadcasting Service it:Public Broadcasting Service he:PBS nl:Public Broadcasting Service ja:???????? no:PBS pl:Public Broadcasting Service pt:Public Broadcasting Service simple:Public Broadcasting Service sh:Public Broadcasting Service sv:PBS vi:PBS tr:PBS zh:????? Source: Wikipedia | The above article is available under the GNU FDL. | Edit this article
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