Public Broadcasting Laboratory

The Public Broadcast Laboratory (PBL) was a television program broadcast in the United States, created on November 5, 1967 by National Educational Television (NET). The program was considered a live Sunday-night magazine program.

The Public Broadcast Laboratory had the financial backing of the Ford Foundation which put over $292 million into educational television programs included the Public Broadcasting Laboratory. PBL featured a program of news and other features aired on Sunday evenings.

The executive director was Av Westin.

The initial PBL program featured African Americans with white-painted faces in a one-hour drama.

Only 89 of a hoped for 119 Stations aired the debut program. The entire state educational networks of South Carolina and Georgia refused due to the controversial content.

The series aired 53 episodes (including four specials) during its two-year run on NET. Season one episodes ran two hours long, season two episodes from December 1, 1968 on ran only 90 minutes long. The entire archive of PBL programs was donated by NET's successor, PBS, to the Library of Congress on January 5, 1994.

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