Getting the bird

Mitt Romney took the opportunity of the Presidential debate to restate his intention to stop government subsidies to PBS, broadcaster of moderator Jim Lehrer's Newshour - and of Sesame Street, home to Big Bird. “I’m sorry, Jim. I will stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you. But I’m not going to keep spending money on things to borrow from China.”

Broadcast funding from Uncle Sam is funnelled through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; as well as PBS stations, it supports the radio services of NPR and PRI, and provides funding for educational and community programmes. In 2010, it paid out over $500m (California was the biggest beneficiary, at £55m; New York followed, with $47m); in 2011, it's been estimated that PBS and NPR shared a pot of around $430m. The CPB claims its funding supports 21,000 jobs, which in turn contribute more than $1 billion to the US economy.