I make a small donation every month to PBS. But without the big guns, PBS might fold pretty quick. And the big guns want "something" for their money. I guess having ad spots on a forum doesn't that much advertising is valuable. It would be interesting to know how much that adspace is charged--and compare that to other news outlets.

The PBS ads are also done in "good taste" meaning we don't get the huckster ads shown on other news outlets. The ads blend in more with the programming.

In Canada, we have our equivalent of PBS, the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). The federal government funds a significant portion of the CBC. The TV side also supports itself with commercials that look like the other Canadian broadcasters. The radio side is ad free, so it is 100% supported by the taxpayer.

The Conservative Party is promising to defund the CBC, meaning the CBC will have to experience some big changes soon.

I believe PBS gets 5% of its funding from the federal government. I expect this funding will disappear soon. PBS can manage that cut.