The political talk show Ralston Reports has been cancelled, effectively immediately. The show was hosted by veteran Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston and broadcast on Nevada PBS stations.
In a statement, KNPB President Kurt Mische and Vegas PBS General Manager Tom Axtell said in a joint statement, “Jon Ralston is one of Nevada’s most knowledgeable and informed political commentators. In February 2015, we invited Jon to create this program as a platform for advocates and policy makers to discuss the complex issues facing our state. Since that time, the show has proven to be informative and substantive, though also sometimes provocative and controversial.”
“Ralston Live has required a considerable financial investment from both stations and no longer has sufficient funds to continue production.”
The statement seemed to imply that Ralston’s program rankled donors, leading to insufficient funding. Ralston tweeted, “Some personal news: I’m parting ways with PBS. It’s clear that I ruffled feathers, and I understand PBS’ need to protect its donor base.”
Ralston would express his opinion in segments of the show, a feature not common on public television. His opinion segments were sharply-worded and regularly targeted politicians. Sharron Angle, who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in Nevada in 2010 before running again this year, was not a fan of Ralston and refused to grant an interview to him. She said in a tweet last month, “We grant interviews to almost everyone almost, you have to be professional.”
The airings of Ralston Live will be replaced by BBC World News and Tavis Smiley.