Allen Mendenhall resigned immediately from the Alabama Public Television (APT) Foundation Board, where he had served since 2019.
In his letter to the board, Mendenhall said, "Given my support for the proposed rescissions package and my hope for its approval by the U.S. Senate, I can no longer serve in good faith as a fiduciary for this organization."
In an interview, Mendenhall told 1819 News, "The entire reason why I joined the board to begin with was mainly to ensure that Alabama Public Television was being fiscally responsible and not running programming that didn't align with the values of Alabamians."
Mendenhall said he felt he's been able to accomplish what he set out to do during his time on the board, saying, “Ferris W. Stephens, the chairman of the board, has done a very good job of making sure the organization is producing good content for viewers and not drifting into ideological territory.”
The Foundation board is comprised of members appointed by the Alabama Educational Television Commission (AETC), which is made up of gubernatorial appointees by congressional district.
The foundation board is in charge of APT finances. According to Mendenhall, the foundation board sits in on AETC board meetings and meets immediately after the conclusion of the meeting. There is an overlap between the two boards. A review of the board's latest IRS Form 990 shows that all of the AETC members, plus an additional three members, are listed. Mendenhall was one of the three.
In his letter of resignation sent to the board on Saturday, July 12, Mendenhall said, "This decision stems from philosophical, legal, and policy differences related to litigation challenging President Donald J. Trump’s executive order directing federal agencies and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding for NPR and PBS. I support the President’s order and hold the fundamental belief that public broadcasting should not exist as a government-funded entity."
His letter explained, "When I accepted the opportunity to serve on this board, my primary objectives were to ensure that Alabama Public Television’s programming aligned with Alabama values and to maintain rigorous accountability and transparency in its financial operations.
According to one APT executive, if the U.S. Senate approves a rescissions package next week, APT will lose about $3 million annually. The potential loss represents about 13% of APT’s budget.
Mendenhall said, “Philosophically, I believe that all television programming should be privately funded. I understand that we don't operate in a world in which that sort of ideal exists, but that would be the ideal.”
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