Easy Guide to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

What is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit Independent Government Agency, created by an act of the United States Congress and formally funded by the United States Federal Government to promote the art of public broadcasting. In a historical sense, nearly 20% of all aggregate revenues of all public broadcasting stations have been funded by federal government agencies, principally through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Although the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides some funding for PBS and National Public Radio, the majority of its funding (received from the Federal Government) is transferred to public television and radio stations that are members of the aforementioned stations, as well as to other broadcasters that are independents of these organizations.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was established by the passing of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967; this legislation requires that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting operate with a “strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature.” Additionally, the legislation which ultimately created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting requires the agency to regularly review national programming for objectivity and balance, as well as report on “its efforts to address concerns about objectivity and balance.”

How is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Funded?

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s annual budget is comprised almost entirely of an annual appropriation from the Untied States Congress plus interest it receives on such funds. For example, in the fiscal year of 2010, its appropriation was $422 million; the distributions of such funds were as follows:

$21 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s administrative costs

$25.2 million for funds to support the Public Broadcasting Service (as opposed to specific stations

$281.85 million for public television

$93.94 million for public radio efforts

Public broadcasting stations are funded through a combination of private donations from members, foundations and corporations, state and local taxes, local and national underwriting and federal funds.


Corporation for Public Broadcasting Quick Facts

The following details outline the administration of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting:
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was founded on November 7th of 1967
The headquarters of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are located in Washington, D.C.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is responsible for the jurisdiction over the United States of America
The head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is CEO Patricia Harrison

What is an Independent Government Agency?

An independent agency of the United States Federal Government is a department or organization that exists outside of the federal executive departments or those headed by a Cabinet secretary. In a more specific sense, the term Independent Government Agency, is used to describe agencies that, while constitutionally operating within the executive branch, are free from presidential authority or control, as a result of the President’s limited membership within the agency.

Independent government agencies are established through separate statutes passed by the United States Congress; each respective statutory grant of authority will define the goals or mission that the agency must work towards, in addition to the substantive areas, if applicable, over which the Independent Agency may have the power of rulemaking. These agency regulations, when enforced, maintain the power of federal law.

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