Catholic PBS station didn’t air documentary

The Associated Press is making a big deal out of a PBS station owned by a diocese in Texas not showing a Frontline documentary called “Hand of God” that discusses the Scandal in Boston.

public television station owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville did not run a “Frontline” program about the child molestation scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston. The station instead repeated the previous week’s program.

[...] Gerald Brazier, a member of the church reform group Call to Action RGV, said people who called KMBH Tuesday were told the station’s general manager, Monsignor Pedro Briseno, wanted to preview “Hand of God” to see if it was appropriate for local viewers.

Viewers who called Thursday were told the program did not air because it was not provided to the station on time.

So what’s the big deal? They decided not to show it. Are they under some obligation to air every program that comes from PBS? I’m more curious about the fact that a Catholic diocese owns a PBS station. Seems like an unnecessary entanglement with the government and a semi-public entity that is often hostile to the Church.

I note as well that the AP reporter went to, who else?, the heterodox group Call to Action for reaction. Must be on the Rolodex.

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