By ANDREW DeMILLO | Arkansas Advocate
In normal times, a group of citizens banding together and pitching in to save a public institution like PBS would be rewarded. They would be lauded for putting their money where their mouths are.
But these aren’t normal times, as Arkansans who fought to keep PBS programs in the state are learning the hard way.
Arkansas TV’s decision to remove one PBS news program from its lineup and reschedule another is a betrayal to those who were trying to do the right thing. The decision is also going to make it harder for Arkansans to trust the public television network’s leadership.
Supporters of public television barely had any time to celebrate their victory in convincing the Arkansas TV commission to reverse course and keep PBS before learning of the network’s plan to water down offerings. Billed as an effort to increase local programming, Arkansas TV announced it would no longer air “Washington Week with The Atlantic” and would move “PBS Newshour” to a late-night schedule.
The head of Arkansas TV, former Republican state Rep. Carlton Wing, says the changes weren’t politically motivated and are part of the network’s goal to increase its local programming from 5% to 30%.
But it’s hard to ignore that the changes affect programming that has long come under fire from Republicans in Arkansas and elsewhere.
That includes GOP state Sen. Dan Sullivan, whose wife sits on the Arkansas TV Commission and who has referred to “Washington Week” as left-leaning. Sullivan, who has unsuccessfully pushed for abolishing the Arkansas TV Commission, said he didn’t have any role in the programming changes.
The changes raise questions about what PBS will look like in Arkansas in the years ahead. Supporters successfully raised more than the $2.1 million needed to pay PBS dues, staving off efforts to cut ties with the national network altogether.
The bipartisan coalition of viewers and donors led by former first ladies Gay White and Barbara Pryor weren’t fighting to keep a watered down, Diet Coke version of PBS in the state. Imagine the response they would have gotten from donors if they knew they were donating money to keep PBS in Arkansas in name only, a version stripped of any content that could draw objections.
The backlash from viewers, as reporter Tess Vrbin’s story last week showed, demonstrated the danger of trying such a bait-and-switch on PBS viewers and donors. One viewer wrote that “trust has been broken” and another complained about being “jerked around by politics.”
Donors didn’t give money because they wanted less PBS. They saw the value in keeping quality educational and cultural programs on the state’s airwaves for all ages, from Mister Rogers to Ken Burns.
That includes news programs like “PBS Newshour” and “Washington Week.” There’s a reason why PBS is consistently ranked as one of the most trusted news sources in polling, with only the Weather Channel ranking higher.
PBS’s news programs underscore the value of having a strong public television network that helps viewers connect with the news at home and nationally. That relationship is built on trust.
Trust is also vital in keeping the public’s support for an institution like Arkansas’ public television. Viewers across the state mobilized, donated and spoke out when they saw PBS under threat. They weren’t fighting for PBS in name only. They were fighting for the kind of programming that audiences can’t find in commercial media, and that means programming that may make some uncomfortable.
When he promoted his critically acclaimed documentary series on the American Revolution, Burns frequently cited the neon sign he kept in his studio that reads, “It’s complicated.” It was a reminder that history never boils down to simple black-and-white narratives.
Arkansas should reward the efforts of PBS supporters who fought hard to keep that kind of perspective on the air. More importantly, Arkansas should trust that its citizens don’t need to be protected from complicated stories.
Andrew DeMillo is the editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Advocate. He has covered Arkansas government and politics for more than 20 years. Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.