PBS joins the Public Media Alliance
We are pleased to announce that PBS has become a member of the Public Media Alliance.
As the largest global association of public broadcasters, the PMA aims to be as inclusive as possible and welcome a wide range of voices from across the public media sphere. We are therefore extremely happy to announce that the USA’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has recently become our member, adding to the diversity of our membership.
PBS is “America’s largest classroom and stage for the arts and trusted window to the world”, with the key aim of providing services and content that educates, informs and inspires the American public. PBS’ contribution to the American’s media landscape is invaluable and it has been ranked #1 in public trust for the past 15 years, providing accurate and high quality journalism via its TV, radio, and digital outlets.
The organisation has a particular focus on producing educational and entertainment content for children through PBS Kids. As Julie Drizin, CEO of Current, said at PMA’s 2018 Global Conference “Parents know that when their preschoolers and elementary students watch PBS, they’ll see age appropriate programs that are educational and entertaining, shows that stimulate curiosity and cultivate civic values. They teach kids that it’s good to be kind and helpful, to share and be fair, to ask questions, work for justice, take care of people, plants, animals and the planet”.
PBS has 350 member stations, which serve all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa, reaching a wide range of communities across these territories.
The service has a hybrid and often tenuous funding model, receiving its funding from a mix of federal funds via the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB), member station dues, foundations, corporations and private individuals.
We warmly welcome PBS as our members and we look forward to working with them in the future.