Column: Why Big Bird deserves our support

• Access to ideas and information was at the heart of our founders' vision of democracy.
• In that vein, Thomas Jefferson established state-funded public libraries.
• Today, public TV and radio serves that same service.

Does Big Bird deserve our support? As a nation, should we invest in public broadcasting? This comes down to some very basic questions about priorities. What do we believe in as a country? What do we lose if the government cuts funding for local public television and radio stations?

To answer, we need to look back further than the founding of public television in this country, to the time of our founding fathers. One of the most radical ideas in our nation's history was the formation of our public libraries. Until then, books were mostly sheltered in private collections and shared only among the wealthy or privileged. As governor of Virginia, it was Thomas Jefferson who first proposed that we establish state-funded libraries so that people could freely access new ideas and information. This access to ideas was at the heart of our founders' vision of democracy: a country founded for the people, and by the people, where every citizen had the opportunity to be informed, and have a voice in the future of our country.

Nearly 200 years later, our public broadcasting system was created in the same spirit: to use our nation's airwaves to educate, engage and inspire all Americans. Over the past four decades, public television stations have used the power of TV -- and now, the Internet and mobile devices -- to ensure that all Americans have access to new ideas and information that can inform and inspire their lives. Our public broadcasting system is our nation's 21st century public library, a collection of ideas and information that can be freely accessed by all citizens to learn more about the world around them.

For a library to truly be public, it must be accessible to all. This is also one of the most important, and endangered, aspects of our public broadcasting system. Locally owned and operated public broadcasting stations across the country have built a model public-private partnership. With a federal investment of approximately $1 per person per year, public television and radio stations raise an additional $6 on their own so that every American, in every community across our country, can access our public broadcasting system. You don't need a cable subscription or broadband connection to access these programs. And it doesn't matter if you live in a rural or urban area, you can still turn on your TV and watch your local public television station.

Broad national reach

Over the course of a year, nearly 90% of all Americans tune in to their local PBS station. Stations provide under-served rural, minority, elderly and very young audiences in their local communities with programming and services commercial broadcasting has no economic incentive to provide. In many areas, public broadcasters provide the only source of local broadcasting in their communities. This universal access is at risk should public broadcasting lose its federal support. The majority of federal funding for public broadcasting goes directly to stations, and many stations in more rural areas rely heavily on these federal funds.

Local public television stations are owned by the communities they serve, and are each unique in how they meet the needs of their home town. In Las Vegas, for instance, Vegas PBS has become a powerful partner with local law enforcement officials, in addition to developing over-the-air GED programs. Hawaii PBS empowers high school students to become local TV reporters. And Wisconsin Public Television has become a vital resource for veterans in their state.

Through programs such as Ready to Learn, which ensures that children have the skills to succeed in kindergarten, or American Graduate, which focuses on addressing the nation's drop-out crisis, public television stations have collaborated to develop resources to help make a real difference in the lives of families across the country.

Emphasis on children

We believe nothing is more essential than our children's programming. Because of public television stations' tremendous reach into households across the country, public television has a unique ability to enrich the lives of our youngest citizens. In the course of a year, more than 80% of children ages 2-8 watch PBS children's educational programs. And unlike any other media organization, PBS is solely focused on educating children, not selling to them. We work closely with educators to tie content to curriculum standards, and to ensure that it provides real learning opportunities for children.

In keeping with the spirit of a public library, public television stations serve all Americans, across all ages and walks of life. For many Americans, not just children, public television is their only opportunity to see a Broadway show, visit a National Park, or have a front row seat at a popular music concert.

I have traveled to almost every state in the country, and talked to people whose lives have been changed for the better through public television. But the impact and importance of public broadcasting is more than just anecdotal. Americans consistently rate PBS as the nation's most trusted institution and the number one children's educational media brand.

Jefferson knew that our future rests on the ability of our nation's citizens to be informed, active participants in our democracy. Our country will succeed or fail based on our ability to educate and engage the next generation of leaders. Like that first publicly funded library, public broadcasting provides a place for all Americans to access new ideas and information, so that each and every American can help build a brighter future for our country. Without funding, we stand to lose more than just public television stations and their programming.

What's ultimately at risk is the vision of our founders to use the public's resources to educate and inspire the American people.

Paula Kerger is the president and CEO of PBS.

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