Mixed financial news for pubcasters on 200 largest charities list

Several pubcasters are part of the 200 largest charities in America in Forbes magazine's annual list. Figures are for end of fiscal 2008, comparisons are with end of fiscal '07. Calculations include charitable commitment, fundraising efficiency and donor dependency. PBS scores quite high in fundraising efficiency; it's seventh on the list. Its $356 million in assets, however, is down 7 percent. WGBH Educational Foundation, with net assets of $357 million, has a surplus of $40 million. Northern California Public Broadcasting scores low in charitable commitment, a calculation of total expenses that went directly to its charitable purpose as opposed to management, certain overhead and fundraising; it scored 63 percent in that category. Also on the list: WETA (assets up $1 million); Minnesota Public Radio (assets up $4 million) and NPR (assets up $16 million). Overall, the 200 entities were down a total of $6 million, compared with a surplus of $66 million last year.