John Oliver’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ Launches Auction to Aid Public Broadcasting

John Oliver is turning one of television’s most recognizable satirical platforms into a fundraising engine for public broadcasting. The host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has launched an auction featuring a selection of unusual and high-value items, including an original Bob Ross painting, to support the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and local public media stations.

Oliver announced the initiative during Sunday’s episode, highlighting the stakes facing public broadcasters after Congress proposed eliminating more than $1 billion in federal funding. The cuts, he said, would disproportionately affect rural and underserved communities that rely on public TV and radio for local news, emergency alerts and educational programming.

The anchor item in the auction is an original painting by Ross, the late host of The Joy of Painting and one of PBS’s most enduring cultural figures. Ross’ artwork has seen a surge in interest over the last decade, with authenticated pieces often selling for tens of thousands of dollars. Oliver said the choice to feature a Ross painting was deliberate, calling it a symbol of the programming that public broadcasting has delivered for generations.

Other items in the auction were not immediately disclosed, though Oliver noted that the full catalog will be released in the coming weeks. Proceeds will be directed to public broadcasting organizations, many of which have warned that federal cuts would lead to layoffs, reductions in local reporting and the cancellation of community-focused programs.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes federal funding to more than 1,500 public television and radio stations nationwide. The potential loss of government support raised concerns throughout the media sector earlier this year, prompting renewed discussions about the financial sustainability of noncommercial journalism.

Oliver has used Last Week Tonight in the past to raise awareness of political and cultural issues, occasionally combining comedic segments with real-world action. The auction, he said, is intended to help bridge funding gaps while drawing broader attention to what he described as long-standing vulnerabilities in the public broadcasting system.

Information on bidding and auction dates will be released through Last Week Tonight’s official channels.