Alabama Educational TV Commission Hires Law Firm

The Alabama Educational Television Commission has voted to hire a Birmingham law firm to represent the commission in a lawsuit filed by ousted Alabama Public Television executive director Allan Pizzato. The commission voted 6-0 to hire the Birmingham law firm of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt after going into executive session during a special called meeting Tuesday at APT headquarters in Birmingham. The commission chairman, Ferris Stephens, said after the meeting that the commission feels Pizzato's lawsuit is without merit. The commission voted to dismiss Pizzato and chief financial officer Pauline Howland at a June 12 meeting. Stephens denied earlier reports that Pizzato and Howland were fired because they were opposed to airing a controversial documentary series by Texas-based evangelical Christian activist David Barton. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.