Don't tell Mitt! The actor who brought Big Bird to life makes $314,000 a year

The London Daily Mail ^ | October 11, 2012

[KGeorge]

Interesting info out there for anyone who is interested (No. I can’t believe we’re talking about Big Bird instead of actual hell-in-a-handbasket crises in the *real world*, either. But here we are & we are dealing with overgrown children, after all).

excerpt from Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Annual Report. Note that they receive their govt funding from the Dept of Education (I didn’t know this)
The financials look, to me, to be stale (09/ 2010) & vague, but maybe that’s how they’re done. (wish I could highlight parts of this)

http://www.cpb.org/annualreports/2010/images/downloads/financials2010.pdf

“Receivables
The Corporation’s receivables consist primarily of returned grants, accrued interest and receivables from the U.S. Department of Education. The specific identification method is used to determine the uncollectible amounts. The Corporation records an allowance for doubtful accounts on its outstanding receivables based on specific identification of uncollectible accounts. Allowance for doubtful accounts as of September 30, 2010 and 2009 was $76,276.

Organization
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (the Corporation) is a District of Columbia not-for-profit corporation authorized to receive federal appropriations under Title II of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as amended. The Corporation is recognized as exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, except on activities unrelated to its exempt purpose. In addition, the Corporation is an organization that is not a private foundation as defined in Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The primary source of funding to the Corporation is the federal government. Congress has approved future annual funding to the Corporation through fiscal year 2012. Annual funding for 2012 and 2011 amounts to $445,000,000 and $430,000,000, respectively.

Basis of Combination
The combined financial statements are presented on an accrual basis and include the accounts of Literary Classics, Inc., a District of Columbia not-for-profit corporation exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which was created in fiscal year 2003 to act as the custodian for certain classic films valuable to the public broadcasting industry. Combined financial statements are presented because of the common control of the Corporation and Literary Classics, Inc. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in the combination.

Basis of Presentation
The revenues, expenses, gains and losses and net assets of the Corporation are classified based on the existence or absence of donor-imposed restrictions. Accordingly, the net assets of the Corporation and changes therein are classified and reported as follows:
Unrestricted Net Assets—Net assets that are not subject to any donor-imposed stipulations. Unre- stricted designated net assets represent Board-approved funds for specific purposes.
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets—Net assets subject to donor-imposed stipulations on the use of the assets that may be met either by the Corporation’s actions and/or the passage of time. There were no temporarily restricted net assets at September 30, 2010 and 2009.
Permanently Restricted Net Assets—Net assets subject to donor-imposed stipulations that the principal be maintained permanently by the Corporation but permit the use of the investment earnings for general or specific purposes. There were no permanently restricted net assets at September 30, 2010 and 2009.”

Here is Breitbart’s piece on it

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/10/04/Big-Bird-Richer-Than-Romney

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Street
some information regarding SS’s “extensive merchandising”, but it avoids the financial aspect.

It’s probably not inconceivable that CPB funding is similar to stuff like Solyndra, where some of the money goes back into the politician’s pockets/ campaigns.

[baddog 219]

[Tanniker Smith]

You know, I have no problem with Spinney demanding this much for his work after doing it for, what, 40 years. PBS *paying* him that much is a different matter, of course. (I won’t comment on the others because I don’t know anything about their resumes.)

I guess the man knows how to market himself.

[goron]

[Cvengr]

Big Bird needs to protect his nest egg in the Canary Islands.