Public Broadcasting in Great Britain and U.S.

The British Broadcasting Corporation sponsored a seminar featuring representatives of the BBC and PBS to discuss public television in Great Britain and the U.S. Specifically, the discussion focused on the structure of public television, how it should be funded, its relationship to the community and the government, and what programming public television should provide its audiences. Mr. Crane discussed the operations of the BBC in Great Britain, which operates two public television channels with funding provided by a license fee of approximately $130 charged to each house with a television. Mr. Christensen argued funding for American public television should come from private commercial broadcasters, because there is no public interest standard mandated for commercial television and thus no provision for programming in the public interest. close