Public Broadcasting Service
92% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Public Broadcasting Service is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Arlington, Virginia, registered in 1970, with $558,177,775 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 92% of spending to programs.
1225 S Clark Street, Arlington, VA, 22202 EIN 52-0899215 Since 1970
Revenue (FY2023)
$558.2M
▲ 2.6% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2023)
$550.7M
Net assets
$421.3M
Employees
655
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating92% to programs · $0 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Public Broadcasting Service: 92% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating9 mo reserves · +1% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Public Broadcasting Service: 9 mo reserves · +1% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Public Broadcasting Service: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Public Broadcasting Service: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The public broadcasting service (pbs), incorporated in 1969, is a membership organization that, in partnership with its member stations, serves the american public with programming and services of the highest quality, using media to educate, inspire, entertain, and express a diversity of perspectives.
What they do
Distribution and information technology - represents network, media, and satellite operation centers handling, technical evaluation, and other pre-transmission processing of all program video; program origination transmission including operational support for news and other live event coverage, and the scheduling and logging of all satellite feeds. this expense category also includes other technical research and planning, and the oversight, lease, and acquisition of satellite capacity.
Member services - represents services provided to pbs' member stations, including digital products and services, development, and copyright administration.
Other - represents other services provided to public broadcasting stations and producers from cable and license fee revenue received from cable and satellite providers.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1225 S Clark Street, Arlington, VA, 22202
- City
- Arlington
- State
- Virginia
- Category
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Subcategory
- Media & Communications
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $539.6M (FY2013) to $558.2M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $233.2MNet assets $421.3M
Operating margin
1.3%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$654.6M
Total liabilities
$233.2M
Net assets
$421.3M
Salaries & benefits
$106.3M
19% of expenses
Board members
27
26 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $558,177,775▲2.6% | $550,651,752▲1.7% | $421,322,164▲2.3% | $654,554,638▲2.1% | 990 |
| 2022 | $544,038,860▲0.2% | $541,696,112▲6.9% | $411,695,303▲1.8% | $641,227,961▲8.8% | 990 |
| 2021 | $542,977,687▲8.1% | $506,773,194▲13.0% | $404,445,280▲1.2% | $589,216,027▲4.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $502,085,658▼8.8% | $448,645,167▼18.7% | $399,560,415▲15.2% | $565,452,721▲14.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $550,502,628▲18.8% | $552,098,934▲10.6% | $346,719,085▼0.9% | $494,836,049▲4.9% | 990 |
| 2018 | $463,343,885▼14.0% | $499,334,168▲0.9% | $349,996,130▼11.1% | $471,597,021▼5.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $538,918,769▲1.3% | $494,948,684▲5.7% | $393,813,561▲11.1% | $498,865,753▲8.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $531,744,453▲15.6% | $468,108,384▼8.4% | $354,536,511▲27.0% | $461,757,189▲12.7% | 990 |
| 2015 | $459,905,865▼2.8% | $511,217,428▼1.7% | $279,187,784▼17.1% | $409,635,434▼15.7% | 990 |
| 2014 | $473,284,710▼12.3% | $520,215,821▲15.7% | $336,835,859▼13.3% | $485,994,862▼5.3% | 990 |
| 2013 | $539,578,402 | $449,719,433▼4.0% | $388,663,221▲38.5% | $513,412,785▲23.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $468,299,613▲1.2% | $280,640,770▲7.1% | $417,101,265▲6.6% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $462,923,593▲2.5% | $262,055,894▼9.5% | $391,294,601▲3.2% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $451,809,048▼5.4% | $289,659,223▼8.9% | $379,079,986▼12.0% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $477,434,869 | $318,110,492 | $430,853,951 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Paula A Kerger — $1,162,720 (0.21% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paula A Kerger | President & Ceo | 32 | $1,162,720 |
| Jonathan Barzilay | Chief Operating Officer | 39 | $749,457 |
| Ira Rubenstein | Chief Digital & Marketing Officer | 40 | $607,379 |
| Katherine S Lauderdale | Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary | 35 | $539,389 |
| Tom E Tardivo | Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | 35 | $520,536 |
| Rhonda Holt | Chief Technology Officer | 40 | $503,215 |
| Sylvia M Bugg | Chief Program Exec & Gm, Gen. Audiences | 40 | $464,820 |
| Jeremy M Gaines | Svp, Corporate Communications | 40 | $424,381 |
| Scott Nourse | Svp, Product & Innovation | 40 | $413,994 |
| Sara E Dewitt | Svp & Gm, Pbs Kids | 40 | $393,454 |
| Michael D Jacobson | Svp, Human Resources | 40 | $381,518 |
| Cecilia B Loving | Svp, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | 40 | $361,563 |
| Adriano Schmid | Vp, Digital Strategy, Ops, & Business Intel | 40 | $347,422 |
| Jill D Patrone | Vp & Deputy General Counsel | 35 | $345,616 |
| Mary L Plantamura | Associate Gc, Corporate Secretary & Pbs Compliance Office | 40 | $256,939 |
| Amy Shaw | Director | 2 | — |
| Catherine Robb | Pbs Board Vice-chair | 3.5 | — |
| Chuck Hagel | Director | 2 | — |
| Courtney Pledger | Pbs Board Vice-chair (as of 09/23) | 3.5 | — |
| Dolores Fernandez Alonso | Director | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Covington & Burling LLP | Legal Services | $5,771,707 |
| Intelsat Us LLC | Satellite Services | $1,391,852 |
| Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp | Legal Services | $591,701 |
| Itero Group LLC | Technology & Integration Services | $542,443 |
| Map360 Collective LLC | Marketing Services | $492,692 |
Grants received · $123.4M total
125 grants to Public Broadcasting Service totaling $123.4M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for programming: pbs earth iv | 2024 | $5,000,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for programming: pbs earth v | 2024 | $3,500,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for emerging platforms and digital experiences | 2024 | $3,100,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for data privacy, transparency, and trust | 2024 | $2,845,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for pbs kids digital optimization | 2024 | $2,700,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for programming: weather hunters series for pbs kids | 2024 | $1,200,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for pbs kids brand refresh | 2024 | $1,155,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for programming: express way with dule hill | 2024 | $1,000,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for modernizing broadcast operations | 2024 | $1,000,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for programming: creative voices ii | 2024 | $1,000,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for pbs national and local engagement on environmental resilience | 2024 | $1,000,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for streamlining station platforms | 2024 | $500,000 |
| Give Back Foundation | Program support | 2024 | $78,920 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $60,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $41,404 |
Grants made · $8.0M in FY2023
94 grants totaling $8.0M in FY2023 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Public Broadcasting Service →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pbs Foundation | See part iv: #1 | $5,121,418 |
| Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc | See part iv: #2 | $400,860 |
| Wgbh Educational Foundation | See part iv: #7 | $332,882 |
| Roller Coaster Road Productions LLC | See part iv: #7 | $130,608 |
| Kqed Inc | See part iv: #7 | $129,823 |
| Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation | See part iv: #2, #6 | $94,130 |
| Wjct Inc | See part iv: #2 | $88,890 |
| Mighty Picnic | See part iv: #4 | $84,226 |
| American Documentary Inc | See part iv: #7 | $83,835 |
| University of Utah | See part iv: #3, #8, #9 | $77,439 |
| The Univ of Nc Ctr For Pub Tv | See part iv: #2, #5, #6, #8 | $63,924 |
| University of New Mexico Foundation Incorporated | See part iv: #8, #9 | $45,000 |
| Wmht Educational Telecommunications Inc | See part iv: #8, #9 | $45,000 |
| The Pennsylvania State University (wpsu) | See part iv: #8, #9 | $45,000 |
| Public Media Group of Southern California | See part iv: #6, #8, #9 | $40,000 |
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Compare Public Broadcasting Service
Frequently asked questions
- Is Public Broadcasting Service a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Public Broadcasting Service is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 52-0899215, based in Arlington, Virginia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Public Broadcasting Service's EIN?
- Public Broadcasting Service's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 52-0899215.
- How much revenue does Public Broadcasting Service report?
- Public Broadcasting Service reported $558,177,775 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Public Broadcasting Service's spending goes to programs?
- Public Broadcasting Service spends about 92% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Public Broadcasting Service have?
- CharityIndex grades Public Broadcasting Service A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Public Broadcasting Service's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Public Broadcasting Service's latest Form 990 is $1,162,720, paid to Paula A Kerger (President & Ceo).
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Data for Public Broadcasting Service (EIN 52-0899215) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.