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2mo ago

Alabama TV Commission Keeps PBS for Now, Orders Public Survey

A contested public survey will gauge viewer support ahead of a June reconsideration.

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The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, voted to dissolve on Jan. 5, 2026, after being hit with $1 billion in federal budget cuts.
Members of the Alabama Educational Television Commission listen to speakers during the commission's quarterly meeting in Montgomery, Ala., on April 21. The commission voted to conduct a survey of Alabamians' attitudes toward PBS programming.
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Overview

  • The Alabama Educational Television Commission voted to keep PBS programming in place and to survey Alabamians on what they want from public TV, with the affiliation to be revisited after the contract ends in June.
  • AETC Chair Ferris Stephens chose McLaughlin & Associates to run the poll, which he said would question 600 people for about $47,500.
  • Several commissioners and members of the public objected to the vendor choice and timing, citing the firm’s political work and Governor Kay Ivey’s guidance on when to survey.
  • APT currently sources about 90% of its schedule from PBS, and an advisory panel urged staying with the network, though some commissioners want to reduce that reliance over several years.
  • APT’s finance chief said leaving PBS could cost millions and risk major donor support, and she questioned spending scarce funds on the survey.