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Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service reported $696.6 million in revenue and $584.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $92.06 went to program services, $7.93 to management and general costs and $0.01 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 54.8% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,602,897 (President & CEO). 379 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 27% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $584MFor context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $697MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 92.1% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 7.9% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 54.8% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 35.2% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,602,897 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.27% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 379 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 10.7 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 24 of 25 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseContent and promotion - a core function under pbs's mission as a multi-platform media organization and represents costs associated with the diverse content offered to its 151-member public television licensees. Pbs's wide array of content expands the minds of children, includes documentaries that enlighten the public on new worlds, non-commercialized news programs that keep citizens informed on world events and cultures and programs that expose america to the worlds of music, theater, dance, and art. As america's largest classroom, pbs is available to all of america's children and offers…
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's member stations, including digital products and services, development, and copyright administration
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President & CEO Director/trustee, officer, 32.0 hrs/week | $1,471,435 | $0 | $131,462 | $1,602,897 |
| Chief Operating Officer Officer, 39.0 hrs/week | $768,991 | $0 | $97,106 | $866,097 |
| Chief Digital & Marketing Officer Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $646,467 | $0 | $90,997 | $737,464 |
| Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary Officer, 35.0 hrs/week | $546,975 | $0 | $85,562 | $632,537 |
| Chief Technology Officer Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $536,431 | $0 | $86,057 | $622,488 |
| Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer Officer, 35.0 hrs/week | $521,596 | $0 | $93,696 | $615,292 |
| Chief Programming Executive & GM, General Audience Programming Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $477,856 | $0 | $52,440 | $530,296 |
| SVP, Corporate Communications Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $427,876 | $0 | $76,419 | $504,295 |
379 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Public Broadcasting Service (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $6.1M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b25 · 24 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5662
- Volunteers Part I, line 640
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Intelsat Alliance LP Satellite Services | $1,337,904 |
| Ernst & Young US LLP Professional Service | $852,086 |
| Ha Design Group Tech Services | $512,724 |
| Covington & Burling LLP Legal Services | $463,653 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 60 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
36 private foundations reported grants to Public Broadcasting Service totaling $83,773 on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Public Broadcasting Service's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Public Broadcasting Service, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Public Broadcasting Service spent in FY2025, $92.06 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- John F Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsWashington, DC · revenue $517M · programs 87.9% · FY2025
- Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York, NY · revenue $907M · programs 57.4% · FY2025
- National Gallery of ArtLandover, MD · revenue $383M · programs 71.1% · FY2025
- Smithsonian InstitutionWashington, DC · revenue $1.91B · programs 74.7% · FY2025
- Crystal StairsLos Angeles, CA · revenue $376M · programs 97.2% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Virginia
Questions people ask
How much of Public Broadcasting Service's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Public Broadcasting Service reported that 92.1% of its $584.5 million in expenses went to program services, 7.9% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Public Broadcasting Service pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Public Broadcasting Service reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $1,602,897, for the role of President & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Public Broadcasting Service get its money?
Of $696.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 54.8% came from contributions and grants (including 2.2% from government grants) and 35.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Public Broadcasting Service a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 52-0899215 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202631289349302363 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501299349303195 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202421349349309247 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202321309349302632 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202201329349306995 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202131349349301208 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 52-0899215: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.