PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger opened PBS’ executive session at the Television Critics Association summer press tour citing some impressive bullet points.

“For nearly five decades, PBS has been relentless in our pursuit of the truth and our quest to find common ground on even the most divisive issues,” said Kerger. “For the 14th year in a row, Americans ranked PBS the most trusted national institution. And even with all the choices at their disposal, 200 million Americans choose to watch their local PBS station each year.”

“As we chart our course for the future, PBS will keep our commitment to the children we educate, the communities we serve, and the people who inspire us: the American people,” she added.

Of course, the potential loss of federal funding under the Donald J. Trump administration looms in PBS’ future.

“This is a dynamic situation, and the outcome is uncertain,” said Kerger. “As you know, we were not included in the administration’s budget. As the budget process has moved to Congress, the House Appropriations Committee approved most of our funding, while the House Budget Committee recommended ending federal support. These differences will be sorted out after the August recess when the budget and appropriations process continue and the debate moves to the Senate, which has yet to act on our funding.”

Federal funding this year for PBS was flat at $450 million, with approximately two-thirds of that figure allocated to television and the other third for radio, according to Kerger. There also is separate funding in the amount of $27 million for a fund out of the Department of Education called Ready to Learn for kids’ programming and research.

Although PBS also gets a significant amount of funding from charitable foundations and other private donors, cutting off the federal endowment would result in parts of the country suddenly having to go without free over-the-air public broadcasting.

“If the federal funding goes away, PBS itself will not go away, but a number of the stations will,” said Kerger. “And so what we have done over these last months and what we will continue to do as this debate rages on, [is make] very significant decisions … about what gets funded and what doesn’t get funded. And I want to make sure that when those in power who make those decisions are weighing different options, they understand the consequence of any significant cut in funding.”

Planning Ahead Despite Uncertainty

Upcoming new original programming initiatives on PBS include Ken Burns’ latest documentary The Vietnam War, which premieres on Sunday, Sept. 17; a new series from Live From Lincoln Center featuring a roster of Broadway stars; nine-part drama Civilizations, inspired by Kenneth Clark’s 1969 program about Western art; eight-part The Great American Read, which will hold a first ever national vote to choose America’s most beloved novel; and, on PBS Kids, the animated Luna Around the World.

Additionally, Poldark returns on Oct. 1 for a third season on Masterpiece; Victoria, also on Masterpiece, will return for season two in January; Independent Lens will present documentary Dolores, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; and Frontline will feature Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, currently airing in theaters, this fall. Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave, meanwhile, has been cast in original film Man in the Orange Shirt, which will air in June 2018 on Masterpiece as part of Gay Pride Month.

PBS also is hoping to make an announcement this fall on who will be stepping in as the new co-anchor in place of the late Gwen Ifill on PBS Newshour.

“In terms of the mix of programs, we will continue to provide some mix, but we’ll have to look very hard at what we’re able to afford to bring forward,” said Kerger. “I don’t know in terms of whether that means less drama or less documentaries or how that actually plays out, but clearly if our resources are diminished, we’ll have to make very hard decisions about what we can afford to continue to do.”

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