A recently released survey shows majority public support for Alabama Public Television (APT) to continue its affiliation with Public Broadcast Service (PBS), despite nearly a year of discussions among the Alabama Educational Television Foundation Authority (AETFA) to end the partnership. The survey results were announced at an AETFA meeting in Huntsville on Tuesday, where commissioners took no action based on the findings.
The survey, conducted by Cygnal, a Republican-aligned polling firm, cost $39,500 and was funded through APT’s emergency fund. It found that 54% of respondents supported maintaining PBS programming, while 18% were against, and 28% were unsure. Beyond affiliation, the poll also indicated that 62% of respondents wanted officials to refrain from interfering in programming decisions, compared to 16% who supported such involvement. Additionally, 48% believed that linking funding to politicians' approval of content grants them excessive power, while 23% favored elected officials restricting public funds in this manner.
The push for disaffiliation among some AETFA members, including commissioners Les Barnett and Ferris Stephens, began last year. Their discussions followed congressional Republicans' decision to cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a major funding source for 330 PBS and 246 NPR affiliates nationwide. While these stations have since relied on fund drives and philanthropic efforts, Commissioner Barnett stated his opposition to PBS programming was less about funding and more about the public network’s perceived political bias. He expressed his sentiment, stating at an AETFA meeting last October, "PBS has made themselves the enemy of what I stand with."
Commissioner Bebe Williams also weighed in on the debate, acknowledging her affection for PBS children's programming but expressing a desire for more balance in other content. She noted that conservatives she conversed with found programs like News Hour difficult to accept.
The Tuesday meeting in Huntsville drew dozens of attendees, echoing public opposition to disaffiliation seen in other AETFA meetings over the past year. Many attendees criticized the decision last year by local public radio station WLRH to end its NPR affiliation after the CPB cuts, a move made without public input. Representative Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, voiced this criticism during the public comment period, highlighting that WLRH's decision was "unilateral" and made "without input from the community."
Commission Chair Stephens initially attempted to limit public comments to only those who had not spoken at previous meetings. However, after pushback from the audience, all 24 individuals who signed up for public comment were allowed to speak, extending the meeting to well over an hour.
Huntsville resident Carolyn Sanders, speaking in favor of continued PBS programming and the reinstatement of NPR at WLRH, urged the commission to "remember who you serve, all of the people of Alabama." She emphasized the importance of trusting citizens with information.
During the meeting, particularly when commissioners suggested a lack of balance or bias in NPR and PBS programming, Chair Stephens used his gavel to manage what he described as "outbursts" from the audience. Only two of about 40 attendees, when asked, indicated support for WLRH's disaffiliation from NPR, both citing concerns over perceived anti-conservative bias. In contrast, most others at the meeting viewed the commission's actions as an attempt to block information rather than to achieve political balance. Resident Susan Stewart noted during public comment that "Sadly for some, facts are seen as having a liberal bias."
The AETFA took no action on the survey results at the Tuesday meeting. The authority’s next scheduled meeting is on February 2. This ongoing discussion affects how residents across Dothan, Houston County, and the wider Wiregrass region access public broadcasting content, impacting sources of news, education, and entertainment that have been part of the community for decades.
