American culture

Non-commercial television

Non-commercial television is a visible player in the United States. It is characterized by its relative independence from national government when compared to public broadcasters in other countries. It is designed, and more or less functioning, as an association of private organizations rather than a "government" operation.

There are many non-commercial stations throughout the country, and some are "member stations" of PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, a non-commercial equivalent of networks.

The major differences between commercial and non-commercial TV have to do with programming and revenue sources. The stations are officially prohibited from airing advertisements, and therefore there is supposedly no advertisement revenue.

However, the stations may have corporate "underwriters," and announcements of underwriters may be aired. These messages are not supposed to promote a specific product or service to the viewers. Another major source of income is donations from viewers. The broadcasters routinely run donation requests to remind viewers of the role of private donations in funding public broadcasting.

Non-commercial TV stations, some religious and many affiliated with universities, traditionally broadcast the kind of programs that commercial stations are less likely to air. Educational, documentary, and public affairs programs have always been staples of public broadcasting.

In the modern television environment, however, much of non-commercial broadcasting may not seem distinctively different from its commercial counterparts to an uninformed viewer's eyes. The programs are sometimes very similar to the types of programming now available on cable channels such as A&E and the Discovery Channel. Many of the underwriters' messages have become longer and sometimes seem more like softer versions of commercial television advertisements.

The Public Broadcasting Service is a network which commissions production of programs by member stations. Its revenue comes from member stations' membership fees, underwriters, and funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). CPB is another key player in the realm of non-commercial broadcasting. CPB receives funding from Congress, and distributes the money to PBS.