Arkansas’ public television network has moved to pump the brakes on its decision to disaffiliate from the Public Broadcasting Service.
Members of the Arkansas TV Commission voted 4-1 Thursday to formally pause the disaffiliation for 180 days past the original cutoff of June 30. The original vote in December to cut ties with national PBS followed a loss of roughly $2 million in annual funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, spurred on by an act of Congress in July.
As many as one hundred PBS supporters turned out for Thursday’s meeting. Joy Holmes of Conway said the loss of PBS Kids programming would be devastating to her two children who have disorders resulting in lower levels of dopamine.
“They are very anxious all the time, they feel under threat all the time, and it’s very difficult for them to feel something as simple as delight. Christmas is not fun, birthdays are not fun, but PBS Family Day is fun,” Holmes said. “The idea that that kind of emotional impact can be taken from kids similar to mine is a tragedy I cannot express the depth of. Because my kids do not make enough dopamine, and PBS Kids gives them dopamine. It helps balance their brains so that they can learn.”
Several commenters said the move to disaffiliate was political, though Arkansas TV officials have said it’s necessary due to the loss of federal funding and a lack of support for the broadcaster among state lawmakers. Brian Thompson of Fayetteville echoed concerns that the decision was made without public input.
“There were no choices offered, there was no advance notice. I do appreciate that we’re able to publicly comment now, but here’s how it felt: it felt like you chose not to involve the public, and the results, I have to tell y’all, it feels ideological,” he said.
PBS CEO Paula Kerger was also on hand for Thursday’s meeting. Kerger cited the story of Los Angeles station KCET, which also decided to disaffiliate and produce only local programming.
“They have a very big creative community, a very significant philanthropic base… within a very short period of time, they had to sell their studio, which was the oldest studio on the backlots of Hollywood, they sold it to the Church of Scientology, they went bankrupt, and they came back to PBS,” Kerger said.
Kerger noted some stations have disaffiliated since the federal funding loss, but that those were primarily small, university-licensed stations in overlapping markets. She also disputed claims from Arkansas TV officials that the decision to disaffiliate had to be made six months in advance.
“I also would say that if you were considering such a significant move, that it would have been worth more than just an interpretation,” she said. “Anyone else that has even thought about this has had additional conversations with us.”
Arkansas TV officials say they will attempt to raise funds from viewers and from the state government in an attempt to bridge the funding gap. Following the vote, CEO Carlton Wing said the commission will now monitor and see what happens.
“We know where we are financially. That is not hidden at all; those numbers are out there for everybody to see,” said Wing. “Everybody who has seen our balance sheet knows that this is an agency, as public television, is in trouble. And so, if there are other options that can provide that necessary funding, then great, we’ve got a path forward. If not, we have a path forward.”
The board also voted to elevate commissioner Gary Newton to serve as chair, taking over from Woody Freeman whose term ends later this month. Freeman also announced that commissioner Annette Herrington had resigned from the board. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will choose Freeman’s replacement, as well as someone to serve out the remaining two years of Herrington’s term.
Little Rock Public Radio also received funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
