PBS will look to White House, Web for bucks

PBS President Paula Kerger said Wednesday that to survive in the tough economic climate the network will hit up the White House and the Internet for more cash. "We have been working very carefully to reach out to members of the [presidential] transition team, to talk about the work that we're doing in many areas, particularly childhood education," Kerger said. "But we're also realistic. These are very tough economic times, and although we provide an extraordinary service to the American public, we can't assume that just because we've done great work in the past that we should be recipients of funding going forward. So we'll be working very hard to make our case." Kerger is also banking that President-elect Barack Obama will understand PBS' plight, since his children may be fans of some of the network's programming for youngsters. PBS is largely funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a government group, but also receives donations from corporate sponsorships and viewers. Like any other business these days, PBS and some of its partners are finding the financial end tough going.