Arkansas would match up to $550K from donors to public television under proposal

A bill advanced by a legislative committee Wednesday, April 22, would increase the spending authority of Arkansas’ public television network to match up to $550,000 from donors who want to keep PBS programs in the state.

Senate Bill 77 aims to encourage Arkansans to support the public television network in light of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s closure earlier this year, Little Rock Democratic Sen. Clarke Tucker told Joint Budget’s Special Language subcommittee. The panel endorsed the bill on a split voice vote, sending it to the full Joint Budget Committee.

In December, Arkansas’ public television commission became the first in the country to vote to split from PBS. But the commission last month voted to delay that split after facing a backlash from viewers and donors.

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