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Public Broadcasting Service

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The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American broadcast television network. The non-profit public broadcaster has 354 member television stations which hold collective ownership. The network's headquarters is located in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is the most prominent provider of television programs to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as Sesame Street, PBS NewsHour, Masterpiece, Frontline and Antiques Roadshow. Since the mid-2000's, Roper polls commissioned by PBS have consistently placed the service as America's most-trusted national institution. However, PBS is not responsible for all programming carried on public TV stations; in fact, stations usually receive a large portion of their content (including most pledge drive specials) from third-party sources, such as American Public Television, NETA, WTTW National Productions and independent producers. This distinction is a frequent source of viewer confusion. PBS also has a subsidiary called National Datacast (NDI), which offers datacasting services via member stations; this helps PBS and its member stations earn extra revenue.