Arizona PBS

Arizona PBS has a broadcast license, held by Arizona State University, from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate a television station in Arizona including the equal time doctrine.

Three years ago in September 2022, Arizona PBS was to partner with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, the nonpartisan voter education agency, to host a series of debates. 

As part of its operations and responsibility to the people of Arizona, PBS seeks to provide voters with as much information as possible about candidates for public office in Arizona; allowing Arizonans to hear from candidates directly is one of the best possible ways of doing so. Debates on Arizona PBS are only one way, though, of informing voters about candidates. Arizona PBS also produces news stories and interviews candidates for public office. 

As one method of delivering information on candidates, Arizona PBS had an arrangement with Arizona Clean Elections Commission to host and broadcast debates among candidates for state offices.  While the Clean Elections Commission was the producer of the debate, Arizona PBS continued to maintain its responsibilities under its license and to its viewers by providing coverage of the elections separate from and in addition to the debates. Debates are not the sole mechanism for informing the public about elections.

In 2022, one of the planned debates was for the office of Governor of Arizona between Republican nominee Kari Lake and Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs. When Hobbs decided not to debate Lake, the Clean Election Commission’s plan to proceed with a one-party debate conflicted with Arizona PBS’s licensing requirements. Arizona PBS was prepared to move ahead with a different format with the Clean Elections Commission to allow each candidate to speak and be interviewed about their candidacy on Arizona PBS. Hobbs chose to accept the interview invitation. Lake ultimately decided not to do so.

As part of Arizona PBS’s commitment to providing the public with as much information as possible about candidates for office and helping voters know the candidates, Arizona PBS continued to produce and deliver news coverage about the election and the candidates.

• Clean Elections Commission Debate: Immigration Enforcement, September 19, 2024
• AZ Votes: Arizona Corporation Commission Debate, September 26, 2024
• Clean Elections Commission Debate: U.S. Congress District 1 candidate, October 8, 2024
• AZ Votes: U.S Congressional District 4 candidates, October 14, 2024
• AZ Votes:  Election Day and Beyond, October 23, 2024
• Arizona Horizon, Proposition Special, October 30, 2024

Arizona PBS in 2022 was transitioned from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to the ASU Media Enterprise, led by Mi-Ai Parrish. Parrish ultimately reports to Jim O’Brien, ASU Senior VP of University Affairs.