In the early days of broadcasting, public broadcasting was not really important or considered useful. Commercial broadcasting was in vogue; the blitz for commercial station licenses continued through the 1940s and 1950s. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reserved many frequencies for educational television (ETV). These stations were just beginning to be used in the early 1950s by universities and other nonprofit organizations. Public service broadcasters attempt to broadcast programs that will improve society by informing. This is the main difference between public and commercial. Commercial broadcasters only care about attracting the greatest number of people by broadcasting popular material while increasing their profits through advertisements and sponsorships. Today, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and its 360 member stations reportedly reach more than 110 million American viewers and nearly 19 million online. According to a survey conducted by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, PBS has been considered the most trusted national institution in the United States since the mid-2000s. Channels such as PBS have consistently struggled to compete with giant corporations such as ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. It is difficult for public broadcasting to compete with commercial television. They don't have the funding for shows like Lost, NCIS, Law and Order and all the other popular shows. Public broadcasting must rely on funding from government, loyal viewers and private sponsors, while commercial television sells commercials that can sell for up to $780,000 or more, depending on the number of viewers expected for the broadcast. this specific show. Even so, it is evident that commercial television has a much bigger portfolio than the public channels... middle of paper... Esame Street is in its 40th season. With numbers like that, I don't think kids need to worry about saying goodbye to Big Bird. Works Cited Aufderheide, Pat and Jessica Clark. “Public Broadcasting and Public Affairs.” RE:Public Media (2008): 1-18. Cyber.Law.Harvard.Edu. Berkman. Internet. March 21, 2010. “The mission. Produce for PBS. » PBS. Internet. March 21, 2010. .Mittell, Jason. Television and American culture. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. “PBPB | Public Broadcasting PolicyBase. Actuel.org | The Journal of Public Web Television and Radio in the United States. March 21, 2010. .Welcome to Paper Tiger | PTTV. Internet. March 21. 2010. .