How iconic Bob Ross paintings could help save public television

There are no mistakes, just happy accidents—unless, of course, we’re talking about the cancellation of $1 billion in funding for public radio and broadcasting. 

Now, in response to President Donald Trump’s clawback of public media money, outlets in need might receive a helping hand from none other than late public broadcasting legend Bob Ross.

Thirty paintings created by the famed artist will be auctioned off virtually and in various major cities—including Los Angeles, London, New York, and Boston—to raise money for small and rural public TV stations. 

Ross, whose shows captivated audiences throughout the 1980s and 1990s, "dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone," Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., said. 

"This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades,” Kowalski added.

Public media organizations like PBS and NPR have been scrambling to stay afloat since the Trump administration snatched back billions of congressionally appropriated funds in July. Ultimately, about 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations were left to find their own funding after the cut.

In response, Kowalski came up with the idea of an auction as a means to keep educational content running on these struggling stations that have been impacted by Trump’s war on “woke.”

“I can’t think of a more meaningful way to share his works of art than by supporting public television’s mission to educate and inspire,” she said. 

Kowalski teamed up with American Public Television to facilitate the auctions, and the sale of the paintings—which Ross created during episodes of “The Joy of Painting”—will go toward public broadcasting stations airing APT’s content. The paintings are expected to bring in anywhere from $850,000 to $1.4 million. 

But public media isn’t alone in being targeted by the Trump administration.

Trump has made it a point to entangle outlets like Paramount, YouTube, and the Wall Street Journal in costly lawsuits—demanding substantial payouts that result in companies settling to save some cash. And other outlets have preemptively caved to Trump, like ABC did when it temporarily dropped late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. 

Overall, the free press is struggling under Trump’s authoritarian hammer. And while some have bowed to his demands, others aren’t going out without a fight. 

It’s like Ross used to say: “You have to have dark in order to have light.”