BIRMINGHAM — The Alabama Educational Television Commission voted without dissent Tuesday to continue paying its contract with PBS.

The vote came in the wake of public backlash after APT board members and commissioners discussed severing its affiliation with PBS due to questions about the programming of the national organization.

The discussions were also brought about by President Donald Trump cutting $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in July.

Gov. Kay Ivey joined the debate this week, calling for “thorough planning” before making any decision regarding APT’s affiliation with PBS.

The contract with PBS expires in July and means, for now, APT will continue to carry PBS programming, which includes “Sesame Street,” “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Antiques Roadshow” and “PBS NewsHour.”

However, the commission did vote to create a committee to explore the direction of Alabama Public Television.