APT also maintains the largest source of free programming available to U.S.
American Public Television, which acquires programs that may be purchased by stations on a title-by-title basis.This includes programming produced by stations such as WGBH, WETA, and WNET. PBS, which provides more than 1,200 hours a year of children's, primetime, educational, and cultural programming from which its member stations can choose.Along with programs that they produce themselves, public television stations choose their programs from some of the following sources: CPB also provides funding to producers of programming, but cannot distribute or broadcast it.Įach local public media station maintains sole authority and responsibility for selecting, presenting, and scheduling the programs that it airs. More than 1,041 local public radio stations and more than 365 local public television stations currently receive support from CPB. Stations can choose to become PBS or NPR member stations, but do not have to join either organization.ĬPB’s role in public media is to shield stations from political influence, and deliver federal support in a way that does not affect a station’s ability to operate independently. A handful of public broadcast licensees operate stations in more than a single state. In rural, Native American and Island communities, public broadcasting stations are often the only locally-owned-and-operated media outlets. Public media is a system of independently owned and operated local public radio and television stations. In a world where there are numerous outlets for information, public media continues to be America’s most trusted institution for news and educational programming. In addition to providing free high-quality, educational programming for children, arts, and award winning current affairs programming, public media stations provide life-saving emergency alert services. Public media creates and distributes content that is for, by and about Americans of all diverse backgrounds and services that foster dialogue between the American people and the stations that serve them. population with free programming and services. The system now reaches more than 98 percent of the U.S. Today’s current public media system began to take shape nearly 50 years ago, with the creation of Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 1967. Since the 1920s, people across the United States have launched public broadcasting services in their own communities to champion the principles of diversity and excellence of programming, responsiveness to local communities, and service to all.