The director of public affairs at Arkansas PBS has been arrested after authorities allegedly found an illegal substance in his vehicle late on Monday night.
Michael Hibblen, 54, was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy for speeding shortly before the officer reported finding methamphetamine in his vehicle.
Hibblen, from Little Rock, faces a felony charge of possession of less than two grams of a Schedule I to II controlled substance, according to an arrest report from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office seen by KATV-TV.
The director of public affairs was driving a blue Honda Civic at 80 mph in a 60 mph zone, according to the police report. When he was stopped, he allegedly told deputies that he was heading home after dropping a friend off at a gas station, but could not remember where he had left them.
Eventually, his car was searched, and “crystal-like shards” were found in a cupholder, police allege.
According to the report, seen by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the two shards weighed 0.9 grams and are currently being analyzed by experts.
Hibblen was booked into Pulaski County Jail, deputies said, on the drug charge as well as a speeding charge.
His employer, PBS Arkansas, confirmed his arrest in a statement.
“This is a personnel matter that this agency takes seriously,’ Julie Thomas, a PBS spokesperson, told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “We have taken action to suspend Micahel Hibblen without pay for up to five days.”
Hibblen first joined Arkansas PBS in 2023 and oversaw the production of the weekly public affairs show Arkansas Week, as well as live coverage of state government meetings on the Arkansas Citizens Access Network, according to his LinkedIn account.
According to Hibblen’s website, he has interviewed several iconic celebrities, including Beat poet trailblazer Allen Ginsberg and free-spirited country artist Willie Nelson.
“Very rarely in life, if we get the chance to meet people we admire, do they live up to our expectations,” Hibblen wrote on his website. “Willie Nelson couldn’t have been cooler.
“My opportunity to interview him came when he was in South Florida for a concert with Bob Dylan on May 26, 2005, at Fort Lauderdale Stadium.”
Before joining the broadcaster, he worked as a news director at NPR affiliate KUAR-FM 89.1 for over a decade.
He also published a book titled “Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.” According to Hibblen’s website, the journalist has been researching the railroad since 1988 and has collected a series of historical photographs of the railway’s construction, which are included in the book.
He launched a podcast series of the same name to accompany his book.
The Independent has contacted PBS Arkansas and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.
