PBS PBS , the Public Broadcasting Service , is an American public television network . One of PBS ' most successful programs is " Sesame Street " , which has aired on the network for over 40 years . " Sesame Street " ' s first season was broadcast on National Educational Television ( NET ) , the predecessor to PBS . From Season 46 onwards , PBS will air new " Sesame Street " episodes on an 8 - month delay from their HBO premieres . PBS is also home to the Jim Henson Company ' s television series " Sid the Science Kid " and " Dinosaur Train " . A popular series on the channel , " Great Performances " , aired the documentary " The World of Jim Henson " . Similarly , " Independent Lens " featured " The World According to Sesame Street " and " " . The television specials " Sesame Street , Special " and " Big Bird ' s Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake " were both produced as pledge - drive specials and included sequences that discussed public television , mentioned various PBS shows , and led to real pledge breaks . Muppet characters appeared in a number of PBS insertials in 1974 . In 1979 , Kermit the Frog , Miss Piggy , Ernie , Bert , Cookie Monster , and Grover all appeared in a PBS fundraiser marathon , while Statler and Waldorf appeared in a fundraiser in 1983 . Muppet characters ( especially ones from " Sesame Street " ) have appeared in PBS Interstitials , and have made guest appearances on PBS shows including " The Electric Company " , " Mister Rogers ' Neighborhood " , " Reading Rainbow " , and " Between the Lions " . PBS also broadcast " Here Come the Puppets " , which was hosted by Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog , with appearances by other Muppets . Weekly online video series " National Film Society " released a 2013 episode called " Cookie Monster Spoofs Hollywood Movies " . In 2011 , KCET , the former PBS affiliate of California , aired " Construction Site " and " The Wubbulous World of Dr . Seuss " as a part of the " Captain Infinity Theatre " programming block ( now renamed KCET Kids ) . Pledge drive sketch . Kermit the Frog and Cookie Monster recorded a sketch for PBS pledge drives in the 1970s . In the sketch , Kermit appears in a PBS studio and explains to the viewers why the stations need contributions : " Do you know how much it costs to produce good television these days ? Well , I got the figures right here . For instance , this station spends over 14 , 000 dollars a month just on microphones . And that ' s , that ' s just the microphone bill alone . " Behind him , Cookie Monster enters , eyes an expensive microphone , and eats it . Kermit hears the crunching - - but when he turns around , Cookie is hiding . Kermit resumes : " You take spotlights . . . Now , the figure on spotlights is 57 , 000 dollars a month we spend for spotlights ! " Again , Cookie Monster grabs a hunk off a spotlight and chomps on it . Kermit continues : " But the most expensive of all is the television cameras . Now , we spend for cameras eight hundred and seventy - five thousand dollars - - " Behind him , Cookie Monster approaches a camera and starts to eat it . Kermit sees him , and asks what he ' s doing . " Oh , me just stopped by for lunch , " the monster says , and continues to munch on the camera . Disgusted , Kermit walks off . Another sketch involves Kermit talking to a young girl name Cathlin . Kermit says Cathlin is a spokesperson of " Sesame Street " and asks what is her favorite television programs . Cathlin replies her favorite television programs are " Emergency " , " Adam - 12 " , and " The Waltons " as Kermit becomes nervous at each answers . Finally Kermit got Cathlin to say her favorite program is " Sesame Street " and urged viewers to call PBS to keep " Sesame Street " on the air .