5 Oct 1970: PBS begins operations

On this day in 1970, the Public Broadcasting Service (better known as PBS) began transmission. It is frequently cited as the most trustworthy institution in the United States.

Some facts about PBS:

• It is the only television broadcaster to have affiliates in all 50 states*
• It was created by Hartford N. Gunn Jr.
• It succeeded National Educational Television, which was founded by the Ford Foundation in 1952
• Jim Lehrer served as anchor for PBS’s newscasts for 36 years, retiring in 2011
• It has been home to many long-running shows, including
  • Sesame Street
  • Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
  • Downton Abbey
  • Nova
  • Frontline
  • The French Chef, starring Julia Child
  • Masterpiece Theatre
  • Great Performances
• Sesame Street holds the record for most Emmys (159 as of 2015) won by a television show
• WGBH, in Boston, is often considered its flagship station

*it’s worth noting that no major broadcaster has an affiliate in New Jersey, because that state is served by New York and Philadelphia

Image: the second PBS logo, from 1971