He noted how the marginal status of PBS left the populace "uninformed and disinformed" by the commercial networks ABC, CBS, NBC and, in particular, Fox. PBS receives one-fifth of its funding from government: the rest is raised from individual viewers, largely through annual "begathons", and from commercial sponsorship of programmes. (The 6pm News Hour is currently supported by telecommunications company SBC and by agritechnology corporation Archer Daniels Midland. Neither business is controversy-free, and there have been allegations of pressure to suppress stories by past sponsors. MH)