LOS ANGELES — PBS put its “Finding Your Roots” series on hold Wednesday after determining a 2014 episode that omitted references to Ben Affleck’s ancestor as a slave owner violated its standards.
PBS said it is postponing the show’s third season until it is satisfied with improvement in the its editorial guidelines.
PBS launched its investigation after it was reported that Affleck requested the program not reveal his ancestor’s slave-holding history. The AP examined historical documents and found that Affleck’s great-great-great-grandfather owned 24 slaves.
The review found that co-producers violated PBS standards by allowing improper influence on the show’s editorial process and failed to inform PBS or producing station WNET of Affleck’s efforts to affect the show’s content.
In a statement, series host and executive producer Henry Louis Gates Jr. apologized for forcing PBS to defend the integrity of its programming. He said he’s working with public TV on guidelines to ensure better transparency.
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