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History of public broadcasting
IN THE UNITED STATES

Timeline: 1980s

1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987| 1988 | 1989

1980

March Closed captioning, developed by PBS, premieres on three networks, including PBS (Masterpiece Theatre).

March NAEB launches trade newspaper, Current [timeline].

May 3 Minnesota Public Radio begins national feeds of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion.

June 20 NPR completes first national satellite network for radio.

August WNET launches Dial program guide for major stations (it loses millions, dies in May 1987).

“Death of a Princess” on WGBH’s World outrages Saudi royalty. PBS feeds it again in 2005 as part of Frontline [program website].

Garrison Keillor
Once MPR's morning deejay, Keillor revived the radio variety genre with A Prairie Home Companion.

KCET offers Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.

1981

February Walter Annenberg pledges $150 million over 15 years, launching Annenberg/CPB Project to make college-level video courses; he breaks off funding in 1990 and begins new math/science project to train grade-school teachers in 1991.

March President Reagan seeks $88 million cut in CPB funding, achieves $35 million cut in fiscal 1983.

Oct. 2 FCC’s Temporary Commission on Alternative Financing (TCAF) begins work.

Nov. 3 NAEB membership votes to dissolve bankrupt association.

 

1982

June Bruce Christensen succeeds David Carley as president of NAPTS.

Nov. 4 Station consortium raises curtain on American Playhouse.

WNET lets Nature loose on PBS.

1983

Feb. 23 Many public TV stations air live open-heart surgery covered by KAET, Phoenix.

April 8 FCC allows public radio to use FM subcarriers for profit-making.

April 15 American Public Radio incorporates (it changes its name to Public Radio International in 1994).

April 19 NPR President Frank Mankiewicz steps down from management role as financial crisis becomes known [GAO summary, 1984]; he resigns May 10.

Aug. 2 CPB joins stations in bailing out NPR.

Sept. 5 First hour-long nightly news program debuts: MacNeil /Lehrer NewsHour.

WGBH and consortium launch Frontline.

WGBH produces Vietnam: A Television History.

Oct. 27 NPR elects Douglas Bennet as president, succeeding Mankiewicz.

December NBC News announces hiring of PBS President Lawrence Grossman as its president.

1984

March FCC loosens rules, allowing “enhanced underwriting.”

April Bruce Christensen of APTS named PBS president. Peter Fannon succeeds him at APTS in January 1985.

July 3 U.S. Supreme Court overturns law prohibiting editorials by CPB-assisted stations, acting in case brought by Pacifica and others [ruling on FindLaw website].

Chicago’s WTTW is first station to air TV stereo sound full-time.

Christian Science Monitor launches Monitor Radio (ceases June 1997).

Nov. 28-30 In meeting at Wingspread conference center, stations develop statement of editorial integrity for independence from state governments [document].

 

1985

May 22 Public radio stations approve NPR business plan: they receive the funds that CPB previously sent directly to NPR.

June CPB President Edward Pfister quits in dispute over planned Moscow trip [article].

June 30 Public broadcasting revenues pass $1 billion by end of fiscal year 1985.

Nov. 2 NPR debuts Scott Simon’s Weekend Edition on Saturdays.

CPB begins aid to Public Television Outreach Alliance.
..

 

1986

January CPB hires Martin Rubenstein as president (and fires him Nov. 13).

CPB establishes Radio Program Fund.

September Co-host Susan Stamberg leaves All Things Considered after 14 years.

Sept. 30 NPR makes final payment on $7 million debt.

WGBH introduces Descriptive Video Service for vision-impaired viewers.

 

1987

January Bill Moyers, gone since 1981, announces return to PBS.

Jan. 21 Henry Hampton’s Eyes on the Prize debuts.

March CPB drops proposal for political content analysis of programs.

June 13 Garrison Keillor’s last Prairie Home Companion before (temporary) departure from public radio (he returns in September 1989 with American Radio Company of the Air).

1986-87 PBS attracts the largest primetime audiences in its history, peaking at an average 2.3 million households. Its average audience in primetime falls below 2 million in the 1990s (graph below).

Henry Hampton speaking to PBS meeting
Hampton produced series including Eyes on the Prize while mentoring younger
producers.

Curve of PBS primetime ratings 1977-01

PBS's average audience in primetime fluctuated around 2 million in the 1990s after falling from a peak of 2.3 million in 1986-87. Source: Nielsen data from PBS.

July CPB promotes Donald Ledwig to president.

Dec. 7 NAPTS (later renamed APTS) names David Brugger president, succeeding Peter Fannon.

Dec. 10 Senate rejects Ernest Hollings’ trust fund plan.

NPR begins producing Performance Today and Weekend Edition Sunday, and distributing Fresh Air and Car Talk.

1988

February APR hires Stephen Salyer as president.

Oct. 11 WGBH launches The American Experience.

November Congress directs CPB to create a program service to aid independent producers (the resulting Independent Television Service is established in September 1989 [document] and begins operation in June 1991).

 

1989

January KUSC and APR launch Marketplace.

March Whittle Communications stirs controversy by offering free satellite dishes and TV sets to schools that show daily Channel One newscast with commercials.

October PBS names Jennifer Lawson as its first chief programming executive. CPB adds $23 million to her budget.

Jennifer Lawson speaking

Lawson came to PBS
from CPB, where she had directed its TV Program Fund.

1990s ARROW

Web page revised June 9, 2006
Copyright 2006 by Current Publishing Committee
Adapted from Current's A History of Public Broadcasting