Arizona’s Republican leadership says PBS is guilty of viewpoint discrimination and influencing the 2022 governor’s race for Democrats.
State Senate President Warren Petersen issued a letter requesting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigate and possibly revoke the broadcast license for Arizona’s PBS station, KAET. Arizona State University (ASU) holds that broadcast license.
Petersen referenced documents uncovered through AZ Central public records requests revealing Arizona PBS “violated legal rules, contractual requirements, and long-standing traditions to improperly put its thumb on the scale of the 2022 Arizona governor’s race.” In so doing, Petersen said Arizona PBS engaged in viewpoint discrimination against then-GOP candidate for governor, Kari Lake — an approach similar to the one taken by other mainstream media outlets to provide cover for 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
“Just like its investigations into ABC News’ slanted 2024 debate moderation and CBS News’ hidden 60 Minutes interview of then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the FCC should investigate whether Arizona PBS violated its duty to act in the public interest when it engaged in viewpoint discrimination against a candidate for governor,” said Petersen. ”Based on the emails between top university officials, Arizona PBS made broadcast decisions based on how it viewed Kari Lake’s positions on election integrity and Katie Hobbs’ electoral prospects. […] Arizona PBS did not act in the public interest because it exhibited ‘broadcaster favoritism’ for Hobbs and acted ‘in a partisan, discriminatory fashion’ that was ‘designed to serve the political advantage of a candidate.”
After then-Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs (now governor) refused to debate her opponent, Lake, ASU arranged for Hobbs and Lake to have 30-minute solo interviews on Arizona PBS. Only Hobbs took the offer, with Lake maintaining that voters deserved to have a debate between the two candidates. Despite not having an agreement with Lake in place, ASU went forward and gave Hobbs exclusive airtime.
The referenced public records revealed ASU President Michael Crow and staffers — including former AZ Central publisher Mi-Ai Parrish, who assists in overseeing Arizona PBS — strategized on how to give preferential treatment to Hobbs and silence Lake. Crow branded Lake an “election denier,” with Parrish telling the Clean Elections Commission that it should deny Lake airtime.
“Whatever the format there remains the fact that it is our venue and brand. We need structure…and format…….and…. people who believe in elections as participants,” said Crow.
An ASU spokesman denied the implications revealed by the public records.
“The shared objective of ASU and Arizona PBS after the gubernatorial debate was cancelled was to provide a forum for the voters of Arizona to hear from the two candidates for Governor in an interview format,” stated the ASU spokesman. “It was an opportunity provided under identical conditions to each candidate, and only one accepted the offer.”
Lake said stripping PBS of its license to operate was a “great start,” but told Petersen that Crow needed to be fired.
“[Crow] is a menace to Arizona,” said Lake on X.
Great start.
Now fire Michael Crow.
He is a menace to Arizona.— Kari Lake (@KariLake) August 13, 2025
Trump appointed Lake to be senior advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media following her consecutive losses in Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial race and 2024 U.S. Senate race.
Arizona GOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda accused Arizona PBS of “government-funded censorship” and ASU of “weaponiz[ing] taxpayer resources to silence [Republicans].”
“This was viewpoint discrimination at the highest level — part of a nationwide pattern under Biden of silencing conservatives and undermining free speech. Arizona taxpayers deserve answers. Accountability starts NOW,” said Swoboda on X.
🚨 BREAKING: Newly released emails PROVE ASU’s leadership colluded to censor @KariLake in 2022 — breaking 20 years of bipartisan debate tradition to give Katie Hobbs a free pass on PBS.
Chairwoman @GinaSwoboda: “This is government-funded censorship, plain & simple. ASU…
— Republican Party of Arizona (@AZGOP) August 8, 2025
Along with increased scrutiny into its political sway, PBS is facing funding troubles.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting — a private, nonprofit corporation that stewards federal funding for public media — is shutting down due to congressional legislation defunding it. CPB provides funding to both PBS and NPR stations. Approximately 15 percent of PBS’s budget came from CPB.
Lake is right, Crow is a snake. He should be removed. So as the radio license from ASU. Who in their right mind thought that a left leaning entity like a university should get a license for an impartial radio station?
Oh, wait, PBS violated rules on our money???? Gee, how utterly surprising. FAFO and they did. They can’t go belly up too soon for me. BTW, Crow has got to go. He is a worthless POS who hates this country, loves ILLEGALS and everything left……Plus got caught in the web of deceit in the governors election. Time for the ABOR to act but they won’t.
I like the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great content.
Fire Crow. The guy hates America.
its too bad – for the good of PBS – it had it’s nose up its own rear end – we’ll tell you how wrong you are.. how stupid you are… and you’ll pay for it? from your tax dollars that we control. NYET SO much great programing – just couldn’t get out of their own way. Hey – if your so good – do it without the tax dollar.. private funding etc. NO MORE CHI CHI
KXCI local radio – same boat.. one side on the tax chi-chi – love the station music much of the time – can’t listen to their ‘public view of good’ anti-Israel everything.. sorry not on my tax dollar. Free to have your opinion on donation and contribution ‘private dollar’ no more tax CHI CHI for the dribble – listened from the first day of whale sounds. too bad.