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### 2015

### Also in this Section:

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## October 2015

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### Visit *https://www.census.gov/history* every month for the latest Census History Home Page!

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### U.S. Census Bureau History: Public Broadcasting

On October 5, the Public Broadcasting Service celebrates 45 years ofdeliverying quality programming like *Masterpiece Theater*, *NOVA*, and*Downton Abbey* to its viewers in approximately 94 percent of householdsin the 50 states, District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories.
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)—an American nonprofit broadcaster and television program distributor—celebrates its birthday on October 5.  Founded in 1970 by Hartford N. Gunn, and headquartered in Arlington, VA, PBS has more than 350 member television stations in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Funded by viewers and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS fulfills its mission to "educate, inspire, entertain and express a diversity of perspectives" through its slate of quality children's, documentary, and arts programming, noncommercial news, as well as comedy and drama offerings that would otherwise be unavailable to U.S. audiences.  In the 45 years since its founding, 94 percent of U.S. households have access to a PBS television station.  Today, more than 100 million households view PBS television programming each month—including 77 percent of all children aged 2 to 8—making it the nation's fourth most-watched television network.

Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and other statistical agencies can help you learn more about PBS and television-related industries in the United States.  For example:
                        - The National Educational Television (NET) network, founded by the Ford Foundation in 1952, preceded PBS.  NET's operations began in  Ann Arbor, MI , and between May 16, 1954, and October 4, 1970, the network distributed programming produced by local television stations (including  NET Playhouse ,  Washington Week in Review , and  Sesame Street ) to affiliated stations.
                        - President  Lyndon B. Johnson  signed the  Public Broadcasting Act of 1967  into law on November 7, 1967.  The law established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)—a nonprofit corporation funded by the federal government to promote public broadcasting.  The CPB distributes money to approximately 1,400 locally-owned and -operated public radio and television stations.  In fiscal year 2014, the CPB distributed nearly  $396.5 million  to support public radio and television stations and their programming.
                        - In 2010,  98 percent  of American homes owned at least one television set and more than  60.9 million  received cable television service.
                        - The 2012 Economic Census collected data from  2,078  television broadcasting stations,  772  cable and subscription programming establishments, and  462  television manufacturing establishments in the United States.
                        - In addition to PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting also established National Public Radio (NPR) on February 26, 1970.  In that year,  99 percent  of American households owned a radio.  Today, NPR consists of  more than 1,000 public radio stations  with more than 53 million weekly listeners.
                        - Internet availability is changing the way households access media.  The Census Bureau's Current Population Survey collected data on Internet use for the first time in 1997, finding only  18 percent  of households connected.  In 2013, the American Community Survey found that  78.1 percent  of individuals reported living in a home with a high-speed Internet subscription.  Web-connected households downloaded more than  77 million podcasts  from NPR each month and viewed   4.5 billion videos  across all of PBS's digital platforms in 2014.

U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves launched the 2010 Census in Schools program with the assistance ofSesame Street's Count von Count and Rosita in Wilmington, DE, on January 15, 2010.  Sesame Street premiered on National Educational Television in 1969 and PBS in 1970.  In 2015, cable television's HBO announced it would premiernew episodes of the children's program before they aired on PBS.

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### This Month in Census History

On October 17, 2006, U.S. Census Bureau director Charles L. Kincannon held a press conference as the agency's population clock showed the U.S. population reaching 300 million.The nation reached the 200 million milestone in 1967, 100 million in 1915, and 50 million in 1880.  As of October 1, 2015, the U.S. population was approximately 321,865,000.

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### Halloween Candy

1,2424988 million metric tons117,846

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### Did You Know?

Ford Foundation65 percent95 percent98 percentSurvey of Income and Program Participationrefrigeratorgas or electric stovemicrowave oven

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