Rather than competing, they are collaborating. A new, entrepreneurial spirit is reinvigorating the industry. It's not the icing on the cake, as some people think. It's the eggs and flour that bind the batter together. In short, federal funding is essential to the continuation of the system itself.
Public broadcasting is one of the most successful public-private partnerships in the nation.
It generates state, local and university support, and more. All of this combined helps public broadcasting to succeed. Public broadcasting touches the lives of tens of millions of Americans, and they have billions of dollars invested in it. Congressional support ensures universal access to anyone who chooses to be more informed, or even entertained. Removing the federal appropriation, or believing that there is a viable substitute for it in any substantial way, will cause this system, or parts of it, to be unrecognizable in the future.