Public Broadcasting Act

References

Public Broadcasting Act

United States [1967]

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July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in the United States. This act was largely based on recommendations from the Carnegie Commission's report, Public Television, a Program for Action. The CPB was created to receive and distribute government funds to support public television.1

The goal was to provide an alternative to commercial television news, offering balanced and inclusive coverage, and serving as a platform for diverse opinions. However, the act did not create a permanent funding source for the CPB, making public broadcasting vulnerable to political shifts and leading to increased commercialization and accusations of bias. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was later founded in 1969 as a successor to National Educational Television (NET) to facilitate program distribution among public television stations.123

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National Public Radio
NPR’s first broadcast
Johnson signed the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act into law in order to support the “instructional, educational, and cultural purposes” of public television and radio broadcasting for the American people, especially “children and minorities.” For this reason, Congress created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation that,…
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Johnson signed the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act into law in order to support the “instructional, educational, and cultural purposes” of public television and radio broadcasting for the American people, especially “children and minorities.” For this reason, Congress created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation that,…
Read More

Public Broadcasting Service
Following the creation of the Public Broadcasting Act (1967), the government-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was established, and in 1969 it founded the Public Broadcasting Service as a successor to NET. The PBS broadcast network debuted in 1970. In its early years, PBS featured such acclaimed programming as the…
Read More
Following the creation of the Public Broadcasting Act (1967), the government-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was established, and in 1969 it founded the Public Broadcasting Service as a successor to NET. The PBS broadcast network debuted in 1970. In its early years, PBS featured such acclaimed programming as the…
Read More

public funding for journalism
Publicly Funded Journalism Entities in the United States
Johnson in 1967 signed the Public Broadcasting Act, creating the private nonprofit Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In public remarks at the time, he said that while the CPB would get part of its support “from our government,” it would be independent, “carefully guarded” from government or party control. The…
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Johnson in 1967 signed the Public Broadcasting Act, creating the private nonprofit Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In public remarks at the time, he said that while the CPB would get part of its support “from our government,” it would be independent, “carefully guarded” from government or party control. The…
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Robert Schenkkan
Johnson on the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
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Johnson on the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
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Television in the United States
Educational TV
…catalyst and model for the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The Public Broadcasting Act called for the creation of a Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This body was prohibited from owning stations or producing programs and was to function as a mechanism through which federal funds were distributed to educational…
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…catalyst and model for the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The Public Broadcasting Act called for the creation of a Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This body was prohibited from owning stations or producing programs and was to function as a mechanism through which federal funds were distributed to educational…
Read More