First state announces to have cut ties with PBS due to 'not feasible' costs [View all]

Arkansas has become the first U.S. state to sever its ties with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the network behind beloved programmes such as "Sesame Street," "Nova," and "Antiques Roadshow."

The Arkansas Educational Television Commission, comprising eight members appointed by the governor, announced on Thursday its intention to disaffiliate from PBS on July 1.

The commission cited annual membership dues of approximately $2.5 million as "not feasible," alongside an unexpected loss of a similar amount in federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

The CPB was targeted for closure earlier this year and subsequently defunded by Congress. PBS Arkansas will now rebrand as Arkansas TV, promising an increased focus on local content, according to Executive Director and CEO Carlton Wing, a former Republican state representative who took charge in September.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pbs-arkansas-july-cut-ties-funding-b2883441.html

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They should be happy: They got what they voted for!!