In May, an executive order was signed that slashed public subsidies to PBS and NPR. These massive cuts to funding were justified with allegations of “bias” in these institutions. Now, several organizations are desperately trying to raise funds to help mitigate the loss of federal funding.
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” has just closed on an auction that raised $1.54 million for Public Broadcasting. It also set a new record for the Bob Ross estate, with the painting “Cabin at Sunset” selling for $1,044,000.
During the 2025 finale of “Last Week Tonight,” host John Oliver asked Ross’ estate to donate one of the PBS staple’s paintings to their “John Oliver’s Junk” auction. His family obliged and donated “Cabin at Sunset,” which Ross painted in 1986, on a Season 10 episode of “The Joy of Painting.”
His family is in the process of auctioning off 30 of his paintings to help support the public broadcasting that Ross loved so dearly. On November 11th, they sold 1993’s “Winter’s Peace” for $318,000, 1990’s “Cliffside” for $229,100, and “Home in the Valley” $114,800. All three of those works went for a total of $661,900. A number now trounced by “Cabin at Sunset”’s more than a million dollar price tag.
“Last Week Tonight“‘s Auction
The overall auction raked in $1.54 million for the Public Media Bridge Fund. An organization that is assisting local public broadcasters with temporarily finding new means of funding. Items included:
- A trip to New York to meet John Oliver – $51,600
- A gold-plated recreation of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s balls – $25,500
- Russell Crowe’s jock strap from “Cinderella Man” – $21,000
- Golden Adidas sneakers – $5,148.
- A bidet signed by GWAR frontman Blöthar the Berserker – over $6,000
We’ll keep you posted on more fundraising efforts as rural outlets scramble to meet budget deadlines. You can watch Oliver announcing the auction below:
