CPB's Goals and Objectives
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967. The mission of CPB is outlined in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 (as amended). In brief, CPB's mission is to facilitate the development of, and ensure universal access to, non-commercial high-quality programming and telecommunications services. It does this in conjunction with non-commercial educational telecommunications licensees across America.
The fundamental purpose of public telecommunications or, more currently, public media, is to provide programs and services which educate, inform, enlighten, and enrich the public. While these programs and services are provided to enhance the knowledge, and citizenship, and inspire the imagination of all Americans, the Corporation has particular responsibility to encourage the development of programming that involves creative risk and addresses the needs of unserved and underserved audiences, particularly children and minorities.
The Corporation invests in programs and services which are educational, innovative, locally relevant, and reflective of America's common values and cultural diversity. The Corporation serves as a catalyst for innovation in the public broadcasting industry, and acts as a guardian of the mission and purposes for which public broadcasting was established.
To carry out this mission, the Corporation's Board of Directors periodically adopts and revises Goals and Objectives for the Corporation. These Goals and Objectives are designed to provide a multi-year framework for CPB's activities. The framework is rooted in the legislative language of the Public Broadcasting Act, that recognizes current community needs, and that applies creative technological, organizational, and educational approaches to meet those needs. The Board also reviews and endorses an annual Business Plan that provides specific strategic focus and near-term targets of activity for CPB's work.
The Goals and Objectives detailed on the following pages outline three broad areas of potential impact: Content and Services, Support for Public Media, and Innovation.