About Public Media
Fred Friendly’s solar-powered plan to give public TV independence
... Friendly began toying with an idea for a permanent source of funding for noncommercial television. In the spring of 1966 ...Latino producers object: PBS diversity data ‘incomplete and often anecdotal’
The Diversity Committee of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers sent this letter to PBS about its November 2008 Report on ...Latino producers to PBS: Diversity data ‘incomplete and often anecdotal’
The Diversity Committee of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers sent this letter to PBS about its November 2008 Report on ...The challenge for public radio: Letting go of our expected future
The fact that the public radio audience is 82 percent white is a problem when the public we aspire to serve is ...Field guide to CPB’s conflicting mandates
When Congress adopted the Public Broadcasting Act 40 years go, it put its contribution to public TV and radio into the hands ...President Johnson’s remarks on signing the Public Broadcasting Act, 1967
In LBJ's 1967 speech endorsing public broadcasting, he says he has asked his advisers "to begin to explore the possibility of a ...Florida, Minnesota donors question sale of favorite stations
Fans of two now-defunct college stations are pursuing legal actions against the sale of the stations to Minnesota-based American Public Media Group.Two ...We’re deep into news — let’s walk that walk
"Let’s face it," writes a prominent pubradio station news director, "despite 40 years of evolution, we have produced a lot of journalism, ...Latino critics of The War seek assurance from PBS, WETA
Advocacy groups protesting Ken Burns’ upcoming World War II doc asked PBS and WETA in Washington, D.C., Aug. 20 [2007] for assurance ...Minority consortia to PBS: PubTV’s ‘stunning lack of diversity’ allowed the Burns flap to occur
Public broadcasting’s five CPB-funded minority consortia sent this letter to PBS President Paula Kerger on April 9, 2007. Dear Paula: I’m writing ...Indecency’s winding road, 1978-2006
July 3, 1978 FCC v. Pacifica Foundation: The Supreme Court upheld the FCC’s right to ban indecent speech when children could be expected ...NPR announces Working Group to consider Digital Distribution Consortium, 2006
NPR exec Ken Stern sent this memo to public radio stations’ Authorized Representatives as a followup to the New Realities Forum in ...Moyers: ‘The best is yet to come . . . I am an optimist’
Text of Bill Moyers’ speech May 18, 2006, at the PBS Showcase Conference, Orlando, Fla. He spoke after PBS gave him its ...Wilbur Mills to LBJ: ‘We ain’t gonna give money to folks without some strings attached’
Congress doesn’t work that way, said Wilbur Mills, the formidable chair of the House Ways and Means Committee in the late 1960s. ...Good isn’t good enough — our best is ahead
Public radio is hitting home runs, but it can do better. Producer and StoryCorps founder Dave Isay says public radio is entering ...
Current is an editorially independent, nonprofit service of the American University School of Communication. We're funded by your subscriptions, your donations, advertising, and a generous grant from the Wyncote Foundation.