Overview
- An eight-member, governor-appointed commission voted 6–2 to end the PBS contract effective July 1, 2026, with PBS confirming Arkansas as the first state to sever the statewide tie.
- Arkansas PBS will become Arkansas TV, targeting roughly 70% locally produced programming and filling the rest with acquisitions from American Public Television and NETA.
- The network will drop PBS Kids, Create, and World from its broadcast lineup, directing viewers to streaming platforms and nearby PBS stations for national shows.
- CFO James Downs estimated about $969,000 in annual programming costs going forward, compared with nearly $2.5 million in PBS membership dues.
- PBS and some state Democrats criticized the move as a loss of free, over-the-air access, while some Arkansas donors indicated plans to shift support to other PBS outlets.