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Forty years ago a group of private citizens sought to bring what was then known as "educational television" to New York by purchasing the license of an ailing, Newark, New Jersey-based VHF television station. This enormous undertaking took vision and daring -- and no small amount of money. Buying the station took several million dollars; its first years of operation cost $3 million more. The first year of programming hewed closely to the station's educational mission (as well as its financial realities) and included shows such as Russian for Beginners, Sculpture at the Guggenheim and The Compleat Gardener. By the end of its first broadcast year, the newly minted Thirteen had attracted contributions from 12,000 "members" and began an enduring partnership: one in which the community ensured that Thirteen would become an educational resource of uncompromising quality, free of charge and accessible to all.
Today, Thirteen is the largest membership organization both in New York City and in public broadcasting nationwide. Over the course of 40 years so many individuals and organizations have made extraordinary contributions to the work of the station that it would be impossible to name each one. Some gifts, though, were so transformative that they illustrate the central role philanthropy has played throughout Thirteen's history. To cite a few: Founding trustee Joseph Cullman, whose longtime family support is intertwined with the station's history, landed the station its first corporate underwriter; longtime trustee Rosalind Walter made a profound commitment to public television through her visionary support of key Thirteen productions such as Charlie Rose and American Masters, as well as other projects too numerous to mention; Henry Kravis, former Thirteen chairman, ushered in a new era at the station through a landmark 1995 gift which established the Kravis Multimedia Education Center, now a nationally recognized pioneer in marrying technology to television; in 2001, trustee Josh Weston helped provide for the 21st century -- and beyond, we hope -- by making a significant gift in support of the station's digital conversion efforts and its Endowment for Arts and Cultural Programming.
Several foundations played a key role in providing seed money to help launch Thirteen. In the 1960s, the Ford Foundation's overwhelming commitment to the idea of educational television literally gave life not only to Thirteen, but to the modern public broadcasting system. Joining Ford in providing seed money to the station were the Carnegie Corporation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; all have continued to make significant grants over the years to various programs.
The latest chapter in this rich history is a remarkable one. In a year of tremendous losses, including the destruction of our transmitters and antennas in the World Trade Center disaster, we not only surpassed our goals but secured millions of dollars for unanticipated funding needs. Membership revenues topped $25 million for the first time in station history, and even in the midst of a struggling economy, corporate and foundation donors came forward to help Thirteen produce a record number of program hours. In addition, our annual Gala Salute, held in April at the Plaza Hotel and chaired by Trustees Dirk Ziff and Catherine Marron, broke not only a station record, but the hotel's record for the biggest fundraising event in its history.
We'd like to take this opportunity to honor all of our loyal supporters -- those of yesterday, whose vision helped build this public television station, and the individuals, foundations and corporations named on the following pages whose generosity sustains their dream. You have our deepest thanks.
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