Final answer:
Public Broadcasting relies on funding from viewers and listeners, state and local governments, foundations, and underwriting by corporations and local businesses. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting also provides federal funds allocated by Congress.
Step-by-step explanation:
Public Broadcasting needs funding from a variety of sources to exist. About half of the budget for public broadcasting stations is derived from individual viewers and listeners, who contribute through responses to on-air fundraising campaigns. In addition to viewer support, funding sources include state and local governments, grants from foundations, and financial support from the colleges and universities that host many of the stations.
Although public broadcasting makes $0 from traditional advertising, corporations and local businesses provide underwriting for programs in exchange for on-air acknowledgments. These acknowledgments act as advertisements for their image and products, providing a source of revenue while also influencing the type of programs that are likely to receive underwriting.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation, was established by the federal government in 1967 to support the development of public television and radio. CPB receives an annual allocation from Congress which is distributed to various public television and radio stations, including those of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), to assist with operating costs and the production and purchase of programs.