Agreed, again, this is uncharted territory, to leave the vast bulk of a fairly good-sized state without PBS, when it has had PBS up until now. And even if one of the major PBS stations became some kind of "superstation", and gains carriage on cable/satellite/OTT, that doesn't help OTA viewers.
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Trump to PBS and NPR: I’m cutting you off…
- Thread starter only1moore
- Start date
Agreed, again, this is uncharted territory, to leave the vast bulk of a fairly good-sized state without PBS, when it has had PBS up until now. And even if one of the major PBS stations became some kind of "superstation", and gains carriage on cable/satellite/OTT, that doesn't help OTA viewers.
It will be up to the fans of PBS, the members, the viewers to respond to losing access to their TV. It's just like what happened to Kimmel. These TV stations think they can just replace the shows the people like with anything. That's not true. PBS members are passionate about their shows, and they will respond to this action by the state. These PBS fans pay taxes, they live in the state, they vote, and their choice is being taken away.
Yes, Each Programs are made possible by the members and Viewers Like You, people who care about quality programming going strong and healthy, and what they love about. And Today is the FINAL Day of the December Membership Campaign for some other PBS stations, including my local PBS station: KPBS from San Diego, California.
But would PBS make that available in Arkansas? PBS still wouldn’t be getting the $2 million+ they wanted from Arkansas PBS.
Who knows where this is going by July 2026. Also which PBS affiliate gets the donor money from PBS viewers in Arkansas by 2026.
That's part of the problem. PBS can't just give their programming away for free. The $2 million figure is based on the amount of money Arkansas PBS raised using PBS programming. It's not just a made up number. Chances are that the stations won't raise as much without PBS programming. The station says they can't pay PBS because they lost CPB money. But the CPB money was meant to help them with local programming. Not to pay for PBS. It's called a community service grant. It's meant for the community. The members paid for PBS. That's why this whole thing is political.
If some new station comes along (perhaps owned by a local college or perhaps an independent non-profit), that will give PBS a terrestrial partner for its programming. I did a little research, and the University of Arkansas owns a TV station. Right now, they mainly use it to program student shows. But perhaps a deal could be worked out where they also aired PBS prime time for some fee. It would likely be a lot less than $2 million. But since the university is also owned by the state, it's possible the government would prevent them from picking up PBS.
I'm assuming that is UATV in Fayetteville. So far as I can tell, it is cable-only (and perhaps closed circuit on the campus). KAFT in Fayetteville is part of the Arkansas public television network.
Unless some way could be found to deliver it statewide (and even then there would be no OTA availability), this would probably be a non-starter.
And since the University of Arkansas system is controlled by the state, chances of making that happen are slim to none.
We just dumped COX for DirecTV in October of this year. COX still carries WGBY. It's on Channel 17. They rebranded as NEPM after WFCR 88.5 FM merged with them.
Are you sure Cox kept WGBY in all three towns (Southington, Cheshire, Meriden)? I'm almost positive that Meriden lost WGBY at some point.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting disbands after Congress pulls funding
The decision has already triggered layoffs and budget crises across public radio and television stations.
thedesk.net
CPB will dissolve following unanimous board vote
CEO Patricia Harrison said CPB is protecting the integrity of the public media system by dissolving “rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.”
current.org
Here’s a long running issue about the CPB Recissions. Now CPB files paperwork to shuts down after a unanimous board vote.
I don't understand all of the questions - if PBS is no longer available in a state or region there is no ruling that cable/TV providers can't bring in PBS through a national feed, a superstation (i.e. importing WNET or KQED, or likely something in the same time zone, like WTTW in Chicago) or using the same technology that the satellite networks do (i.e. bringing in the nearest cities to a market that have PBS via satellite using DirecTV or Dish technology). The question is where does the support go in Arkansas? It'll likely just go to whichever PBS stations serve as the replacement for the lost Arkansas stations.
I believe @Y2kTheNewOldies mentioned importing KQED into the Monterey/Salinas market. That's not exactly true. KQED owns KQET channel 25 in Watsonville that operates as a full time simulcast of KQED. Also, many PBS stations offer OTA translators in far distant areas and even other states away from their home zone. Some of the PBS stations might set up translators for their OTA viewers in Arkansas.
I believe @Y2kTheNewOldies mentioned importing KQED into the Monterey/Salinas market. That's not exactly true. KQED owns KQET channel 25 in Watsonville that operates as a full time simulcast of KQED. Also, many PBS stations offer OTA translators in far distant areas and even other states away from their home zone. Some of the PBS stations might set up translators for their OTA viewers in Arkansas.
I guess anything is possible
I wasn't aware this station existed. Seen this way, the Salinas-Monterey market doesn't lack its own OOM PBS station at all.
Using somewhat the same reasoning, you could even say that the Louisville market doesn't have its own "home" PBS station, rather, the two stations there simulcast WKLE from Lexington (though WKMJ-68.5 does carry the World Channel that the main KET network doesn't). WKMJ is a relic from when WKPC was a free-standing PBS station and Louisville needed a KET affiliate besides WKZT Elizabethtown whose reception wouldn't be uniformly good in Louisville proper. WKMJ does flip-flop KET's x.1 and x.2 feeds, presumably to ensure two must-carry KET channels on MVPDs.
Disaffiliating Arkansas’ public TV network from PBS is an ideological move | Arkansas Advocate
COMMENTARY: Arkansas' decision to disaffiliate from PBS is an ideological one that will hurt viewers.
arkansasadvocate.com
Here is more on the analogies surrounding the proposed PBS affiliation removal by Arkansas TV.
Congrats to PBS North Carolina for standing up and fact checking rumors about PBS shutting down even though it’s about CPB shutting down and Arkansas TV ending their affiliation with PBS.
There is enough money floating around in North Carolina, enough higher education of superlative quality, and enough transplants from more liberal parts of the country (especially in large urban areas such as Charlotte and Raleigh), that I don't think PBS NC is in any danger.
Meanwhile in Plattsburgh, New York…
mountainlake.org
Mountain Lake PBS Stays Local as CPB Dissolves
Public media for the Adirondacks, Champlain Valley, Montreal, and everywhere in-between
mountainlake.org
PBS News Weekend signs off for Good and John Yang leaves WETA-TV as part of the cut.