Happy 50th anniversary, PBS!

The Washington Post

The Public Broadcasting Service, which launched 50 years ago Sunday, is one of the rare things in America that is still universally popular. "Although the coronavirus pandemic has canceled in-person celebrations, and a racial reckoning and bitter presidential election make for a somber national mood, something feels proper about PBS reaching this milestone at this moment," says Alyssa Rosenberg. "At a time of much-discussed divisions, PBS is a unifying thread running through our fraying cultural fabric. Polling shows the resilience of the reputation PBS has built over the past five decades. Some 68 percent of respondents told YouGov between August 2019 and August 2020 that they have a positive opinion of PBS, making the service more popular than awards-dominating HBO and putting it on the heels of streaming giant Netflix. A Pew Research Center study on polarization and the American media published in January found that PBS is one of just three outlets — from among 30 choices — trusted by Americans of both parties more than they distrust it." ALSO: 50 mind-blowing facts about PBS.