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March 27, 2007

Public Television Ranked As Most Trusted National Institution

Poll Marks Fourth Consecutive Year


(KANSAS CITY)—The American people have once again named PBS the nation's most trusted institution and, for the first time, PBS is now tied with the military as the best use of federal tax dollars according to a GfK Roper Poll.

This is the fourth consecutive year PBS has ranked as the public's most trusted national institution in an annual opinion poll by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, a highly respected research organization. The survey is based on interviews with 1,000 randomly selected Americans from across the United States.

According to the results, 49 percent of Americans trust PBS a great deal, far outpacing courts of law with 27 percent and the commercial broadcast networks with 17 percent.

"This goes to show you that public television stations like KCPT are doing their jobs well," said Victor Hogstrom, President and CEO of Kansas City Public Television. "When people respond to a poll about PBS, it is also a referendum on how they feel about their local station. I believe our focus on our community, public affairs and broadcasting quality television programs are the main reasons why the public holds us in such high regard."

The poll also revealed that PBS is the most trusted source of news and public affairs programming on television.

"Forty-one percent of Americans trust our programs a great deal, ahead of CNN — which ranked second with 28 percent — and Fox News Channel, which ranked third with 25 percent," said Paula Kerger, President of PBS. "An additional forty-three percent of Americans rated the news coverage, investigations and discussions of major issues on PBS programs as "mostly fair." NBC came in second with 37 percent, followed by ABC in third with 36 percent."

"In my view, the most gratifying finding to emerge from this year's Roper poll is the fact that the public now ranks PBS alongside the military as the best use of federal tax dollars," she added. "Twenty percent of the public said PBS is an 'excellent value' for tax dollars, according to the poll, and 49 percent said the amount of funding the government gives PBS is 'too little.' The survey also found that 80 percent of Americans think the funding given to PBS stations from the government, corporations and individuals is money well spent."

KCPT provides programming and services that entertain, educate and enrich the Kansas City community. For more information about KCPT's programs and services go to www.KCPT.org.

--KCPT--