By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer

The board of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) agreed yesterday to ban its member stations from airing new religious TV programs, but agreed to permit those stations that already carry religious shows to continue doing so.

According to a report by The Washington Post, the move was a compromise from a proposed ban on all religious programming, which would have forced a few stations around the country to give up their PBS affiliation if they continued to broadcast local church services and religious lectures.

PBS stations have always been required to present programming that is noncommercial, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian, but the definition of “nonsectarian” has always been loosely interpreted and not strictly enforced. The policy came under review last year in light of the transition to digital TV and because many stations were streaming programs over their Web sites.

Five PBS member stations were relieved by the compromise which will allow them to continue their religious programs. Among them is the Mormon owned KBYU in Salt Lake City, and several stations owned by Catholic dioceses.

However, one Catholic station, WHUT of Washington, DC, whch has been airing Sunday morning Mass in the Washington area for more than 50 years, had already negotiated a new contract with another station when the PBS decision was made.

Moving the program, which was broadcast free by WHUT, will be disruptive to viewers, said Susan Gibbs, the archdiocese’s spokeswoman, and expensive — the contract with the new station – WDCW – will cost $60,000 per year.

“I think we were good for WHUT because we brought a committed and dedicated audience to their channel,” Gibbs said. “It would have been nice for us to continue being there, but I think we were good for them, too.”

She was unsure whether the contract could be broken now that the PBS board agreed to allow them to continue broadcasting.

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