PBS NC didn’t broadcast first Jan. 6 hearing. After complaints, they’ll air the rest
North Carolinians who wanted to watch Thursday’s first public hearing of the U.S. House committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol were unable to do so on PBS North Carolina, as the broadcaster chose not to air the hearing on its television stations.
But after backlash and complaints from viewers, including comments on social media, the public broadcaster — previously known as UNC-TV — has decided it will air the remaining hearings, beginning with the committee’s second hearing, set for Monday at 10 a.m.
PBS NC will carry that hearing and the others set for this week over the air on its North Carolina Channel.
David Crabtree, the longtime anchor at WRAL who became the interim CEO of PBS NC last month, told The News & Observer in a phone call Sunday that he made the decision to not broadcast Thursday’s hearing over the air because viewers were able to access it from other networks on TV, or through an online livestream offered by PBS NC on its website.
All major TV news networks aired Thursday’s historic hearing on their main news channels, except Fox News, which aired the hearing on its Fox Business Network and on its digital sites, NPR reported. More than 20 million people watched the committee’s first hearing, according to CNN.
Viewers who tuned into PBS NC’s main broadcast channel Thursday night while the hearings were airing “did receive a 30-second message on screen every 10 minutes, notifying them of where to find coverage of the hearing,” Kathleen Kramer, programming marketing manager for PBS NC, told The N&O in an email.
Crabtree said PBS NC uses Thursdays to show locally produced programming, which he said has become a “staple” for viewers and the network. Thursday’s broadcast schedule included “On the Road with Chatham Rabbits,” “My Home, NC,” “North Carolina Weekend” and “David Holt’s State of Music.”
“We knew the access [to the hearing] was there on multiple levels, and we knew that we had locally produced programming that people were expecting, and therefore we made the decision,” Crabtree said. “I do not think it was a disservice, particularly — and this is very key here — that the access was so readily available to anyone in the state of North Carolina who wanted that information that night.”
Backlash over decision on first hearing
PBS NC’s decision sparked questions from some viewers about possible political influences at the broadcaster, which is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to the UNC System Board of Governors — a body that has recently been described by a national faculty group as operating under “pervasive and overtly partisan political control.”
State Rep. Marcia Morey, a Democrat who represents Durham County in the N.C. General Assembly, told The N&O that she heard those concerns, as well as concerns about equal access to the hearings, from friends and constituents Friday.
“I was very surprised and disappointed that the public broadcast channel of North Carolina was not airing it,” Morey said.
But Crabtree told The N&O he made the decision to not broadcast Thursday’s hearing over the air free of influence from anyone, including political actors.
“I want to be real clear: that decision rests with me, and there was no input from anyone else,” Crabtree said.
Crabtree said he did discuss the issue with Justine Schmidt, PBS NC’s chief content officer, over a period of two to three days before he made the final decision.
“We talked about it with intent,” Crabtree said. “We talked about what would be the right decision to do, and we knew no matter what decision was made, not everyone would be pleased with the decision.”
After hearing feedback from viewers, Crabtree said, he made the decision Friday to air future hearings over the air while continuing to livestream them on the PBS NC website as well.
Plans for second Jan. 6 hearing and beyond
Beginning Monday, hearings will air on PBS NC’s North Carolina Channel — a channel separate from the network’s main broadcast channel that “focuses on civic affairs, issues, entertainment and educational programs relevant to North Carolina.”
The North Carolina Channel is available over the air in the Triangle on channel 4.4 or 25.4 and on Spectrum Cable channel 1276.
Crabtree said he made the decision not to air the committee’s second hearing on the main broadcast channel because it coincides with the network’s block of children’s programming, which “was more important to that specific audience at that time of day.”
“Again, with the access so saturating the rest of the state, that people would not be denied the information, but that the children — and our primary focus is for education — that children programming will take precedent over Monday’s hearing, as far as airing on our main channel,” Crabtree said.
Crabtree said he was not sure whether future hearings beyond this week would air on the North Carolina channel or one of PBS NC’s three other channels, but he said the network is committed to making sure viewers have access to the hearings in some form, including by livestream.
“We will provide access to every hearing that is held,” Crabtree said. “Exactly how and where and what that’s going to look like as each of these hearings unfold, I can’t answer that today. But I can tell you that our viewers will have access to the information.”
This story was originally published June 12, 2022 at 5:04 PM with the headline "PBS NC didn’t broadcast first Jan. 6 hearing. After complaints, they’ll air the rest."
