Bob Ross Paintings Auctioned to Fund Public TV
Bonhams will auction 30 original Bob Ross paintings — three offered in Los Angeles on Nov. 11 and others to follow in London, New York, Boston and online — with all profits pledged to help small and rural U.S. public‑television stations pay licensing fees and cover programming costs after Congress eliminated $1.1 billion in public‑broadcasting funding. The sales, organized with Bob Ross Inc. and benefitting stations that use content from American Public Television, are intended to shore up stations that have faced layoffs, program cuts and potential erosion of emergency‑alert capabilities.
Media
Politics
📌 Key Facts
- Thirty Bob Ross paintings will be auctioned; Bonhams will offer three in Los Angeles on Nov. 11, with other auctions in London, New York, Boston and online.
- Bonhams estimates the combined value of the 30 paintings at $850,000–$1.4 million; all profits are pledged to stations using American Public Television content.
- Context: Congress eliminated $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, affecting about 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations; PBS slashed its budget by 21% and cut ~100 jobs, and local stations have launched emergency fund drives (e.g., WQHR raised >$200,000).
📚 Contextual Background
- A continuing resolution (CR) is a short-term funding measure used to keep the federal government open temporarily while Congress completes the appropriations process.