MONTGOMERY — Members of the Alabama Educational Television Foundation Authority voted on Tuesday to fund a poll to survey Alabamians' opinions of Alabama Public Television and PBS.
The Alabama Educational Television Commission voted in April by a 4-3 margin to survey Alabamians' opinions of Alabama Public Television and PBS but didn't provide funding.
The commission voted at its November meeting to continue offering PBS programming through June 30. Pam Huff Simpson and Eric Land, members of the APT/PBS Review Committee, recommended that the commission continue their affiliation with PBS on Tuesday. The commission oversees APT's programming and finances.
Governor Kay Ivey asked the commission in November to conduct a public survey and review before disaffiliating from PBS programming.
The commission voted 4-3 in April to hire the McLaughlin Group for $47,500 to survey 600 Alabamians on the issue.
"The funds are going to come out of the rainy day fund," William Green, foundation authority member, said at the meeting.
The vote on Tuesday was met with displeasure by attendees, who claimed it was a misuse of funds. Les Barnett, a foundation authority member, asked for order to be restored in the room, or they would clear the room. Barnett voted for commissioning the survey.
"Would you please get order or clear the room?" Barnett asked.
Pete Conroy and Logan Glass voted against funding the survey.
"That's not fiscally conservative policy what we just did. It's disingenuous to our donors," Logan Glass, foundation authority member, said at the meeting.
The Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump cut federal funding to NPR and PBS in 2025.
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