Great Question. The first thing that jumped into my mind when I read your question is whether or not PBS is non-profit. I looked it up and it is. The second question would be, how much money does it take to run a network? I have no idea. I like having a channel like PBS, I would not want it to dissappear, but I think it is reasonable to wonder if it can run without tax money. Your fb friend said Sesame Street brings in millions a year in sales. I thought PBS is commercial free, so how is it bringing in sales? Is it through cable channels buying the programming?