Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
16h ago

Alabama Public Television Weighs PBS Split, Schedules Nov. 18 Meeting

The $2.8 million CPB shortfall leaves APT examining alternatives to PBS, which provides the bulk of its schedule.

Wayne Reid, executive director of Alabama Public Television, speaks at an Alabama Educational Television Commission meeting Tuesday in Birmingham.
Image
Image

Overview

  • Commissioners publicly discussed severing ties with PBS at Tuesday’s meeting but took no financial action.
  • A special session on Nov. 18 will assess programming replacements, costs and public feedback, with the PBS contract running through June 30, 2026.
  • Commissioner Les Barnett presented a five-page disaffiliation plan as colleagues split over potential losses to children’s content and concerns about relationships with conservative funders.
  • APT leaders said PBS supplies 80–90% of the lineup and also underpins operational systems such as websites, traffic workflows and K‑12 LearningMedia resources.
  • The discussion follows a $1.1 billion federal cut to CPB funding; APT reports a loss equal to about 13% of its budget and recently laid off 11 employees.