At least two dozen public TV stations plan to air a children's show U.S. education officials have criticized and PBS has refused to distribute.

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Education Secretary Margaret Spellings warned PBS last week against distributing the "Sugartime!" episode of "Postcards from Buster" because it refers to a lesbian couple raising a child. PBS officials said they had already decided not to distribute the show before receiving a letter in which Spellings said "many parents would not want their young children exposed to the life-styles portrayed in this episode."

PBS affiliate WGBH, which produces "Postcards" with partial funding from the Education Department, plans to air the episode and has offered it to other stations. The Los Angeles Times said Wednesday the stations plan to air "Sugartime!" in the series' regular 2 p.m. time slot Tuesday.

"We looked at it and felt that the goal of our air is to reflect the wide diversity of our community," said Mary Mazur, executive vice president of programming and production at KCET.

"Postcards from Buster" follows the travels of an animated bunny named Buster as he visits with a variety of different kinds of Ameircan families.