A survey paid for by Alabama Public Television’s governing board found that most Alabamians want the network to stay with PBS, the Alabama Reflector reported. APT’s stations carry PBS programming to viewers in east Alabama.
The survey was released Tuesday, Sept. 29, at a meeting of the Alabama Educational Television Foundation Authority in Huntsville. It was conducted by Cygnal, a Republican-aligned polling firm, for $39,500 from APT’s emergency fund. It found 54% support keeping PBS programming, 18% oppose it and 28% are unsure. Asked about the bigger question, 62% said elected officials should stay out of programming decisions, compared with 16% who said they should be involved.
Some authority members have pushed for nearly a year to drop PBS after Congress cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. One of them, Les Barnett, has cited what he sees as political bias at PBS. Commissioners took no action on the results Tuesday. Two dozen people spoke during public comment, many of them opposed to cutting ties with PBS. The authority’s next meeting is Feb. 2.
Source: Alabama Reflector
Opelika Daily News — Thursday Report, Oct. 1, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
