PBS is asking the U.S. Congress to create a dedicated endowment which would fund the public broadcaster in perpetuity, protecting it from the political whims of politicians who object to one program or another. PBS has frequently been accused by conservatives of tilting to the left (as has nearly every broadcast network in the U.S.), and a recent flap over an episode of a children’s program which featured a family with two mothers has renewed the right’s vitriol, even though PBS has recently launched several high-profile shows featuring conservative commentators. The idea of funding PBS through a permanent trust comes as the network prepares to begin a search for a new president.