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Former CPB Chairman Ken Tomlinson Resigns
Broadcasting & Cable ^ | 11/3/05 | John Eggerto

Posted on 11/03/2005 5:31:48 PM PST by frankjr

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board of Directors said Thursday that embattled former board chairman Ken Tomlinson has resigned.

The board has been reviewing a CPB Inspector General's report--called for by a pair of congressmen--on Tomlinson's relationship with the board stemming from Tomlinson's attempts to add more conservative programming.

The board said in a statement: "[F]ormer chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson has resigned from the CPB board. The board does not believe that Mr. Tomlinson acted maliciously or with any intent to harm CPB or public broadcasting, and the board recognizes that Mr. Tomlinson strongly disputes the findings in the soon-to-be-released Inspector General’s report.

"The board expresses its disappointment in the performance of former key staff whose responsibility it was to advise the board and its members.

"Nonetheless, both the board and Mr. Tomlinson believe it is in the best interests of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that he no longer remain on the board.

"The board commends Mr. Tomlinson for his legitimate efforts to achieve balance and objectivity in public broadcasting."

Tomlinson came under heavy fire for adding conservative shows to balance what he saw as liberal bias, and for hiring an outside consultant to gauge the bias in shows, particularly Now with Bill Moyers.

The CPB board has been under fire itself from groups complaining that it has not released the report and has been meeting in closed session about it. One of those groups was happy with the Tomlinson exit, but saw the problem as systemic.

"It was time that Mr. Tomlinson stepped down," said Center for Digital Democracy Executive Director Jeff Chester. But, he added. "CPB needs a thorough house cleaning," he said, "We await the IG report's release."

Ditto for Free Press executive director Josh Silver: “It’s time to clean house at CPB. We need to get the politics out and put the public back in public broadcasting.”

Chester also wasn'tdone with Tomlinson: "Mr. Tomlinson still remains head of the powerful Broadcasting Board of Governors. It is likely he resigned to help remain in that position."

CPB Inspector General Kenneth Konz gave key Hill staffers a three-hour briefing late last month on his investigation into “deficiencies in policies and procedures” at CPB.

Following a request last May by Reps. David Obey (D-Wis.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.), Konz was investigating whether Tomlinson violated the Public Broadcasting Act by commissioning an outside content analysis of the politics in Now With Bill Moyers—and other PBS shows—and by enlisting a White House staffer to help write rules for two new ombudsmen, one a former Reader's Digest colleague of Tomlinson's.

The response from Tomlinson's critics in Congress was swift:

"The public interest is hurt when there are no checks and balances,"said Obey "This Administration believes that since they control all branches of government, they can abuse the public trust and get away with it and Mr. Tomlinson is part of this pattern. Mr. Tomlinson's resignation should be used to bring people together, not divide them as he and the administration have done. Public Broadcasting is too important to be anybody's partisan or ideological play thing."

“I’ve not seen the results of the Inspector General’s investigation, but expect to see it shortly and I look forward to doing so,” said Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), whose request for the Tomlinson bias consultant report helped trigger the IG investigation. “Mr. Tomlinson’s departure from the CPB Board, however, comes as welcome news. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mr. Tomlinson’s legacy at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a negative one, and that he has done far more harm to the CPB than good.”

Frequent critic Ed Markey (D-Mass.), asid: "This is a welcome opportunity for the Bush Administration to appoint a replacement for Mr. Tomlinson who will be a defender of outstanding public affairs, educational, cultural as well as high quality children's programming."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; cpb; defundpbs; kennethtomlinson; liberalmedia; pbs; resignation
No word from Big Bird.
1 posted on 11/03/2005 5:31:48 PM PST by frankjr
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To: frankjr
Frequent critic Ed Markey (D-Mass.), asid: "This is a welcome opportunity for the Bush Administration to appoint a replacement for Mr. Tomlinson who will be a defender of outstanding public affairs, educational, cultural as well as high quality children's programming."

A new slot for Harriet Miers?

2 posted on 11/03/2005 5:35:12 PM PST by madprof98
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To: madprof98

A new slot for Harriet Miers?


Hmmmm ......


3 posted on 11/03/2005 5:37:09 PM PST by soltice
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To: madprof98
This is terrible. The man was drummed out of public broadcasting because he tried to bring some semblance of fairness to this morass of libby, dumb-ass thought (what a contradiction in terms---lib & thought)!
4 posted on 11/03/2005 5:45:16 PM PST by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: frankjr

Let's recall that during the Clinton Administration, CPB was sending their donor lists to the Democratic Party.


5 posted on 11/03/2005 5:46:44 PM PST by HAL9000 (Get a Mac - The Ultimate FReeping Machine)
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To: frankjr

Thats it, I'm never participating in any more fund drives... oh wait, I never did! (Maybe if the bring Dr. Who back)


6 posted on 11/03/2005 5:47:49 PM PST by operation clinton cleanup
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To: singfreedom

Better yet, let's just do away with CPB! We don't need it and it would save the taxpayers a lot of money. Their news and public affairs shows suck big time anyway, regardless of what some ignorant Congressman says.


7 posted on 11/03/2005 5:49:03 PM PST by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: HAL9000
Boy, would they have gotten a rude awakening if they had contacted me! Yes, I admit I used to donate to our local station because my class of multi-handicapped elementary students watched Teletubbies and Arthur every day. Believe me, though, those are the only programs worth watching!
8 posted on 11/03/2005 5:54:07 PM PST by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: frankjr; All
He's baaaack!

Anchor: PBS show Wide Angle

9 posted on 11/03/2005 5:55:51 PM PST by Conservative Firster
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To: frankjr

How and why did the Bush administration acquiesce in Tomlinson's firing? I am very disturbed to read of this.


10 posted on 11/03/2005 5:56:24 PM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (read my posts on Today show bias at www.newsbusters.org)
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To: singfreedom

Agreed. if they are so good why do they need my money.


11 posted on 11/03/2005 5:56:46 PM PST by TheHound (You would be paranoid too - if everyone was out to get you.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
I, too, would like to know the answer. The Bush administration needs to stop caving to these fools. I think that is the main reason for any disillusionment among voters.

I HATE the idea of grub-staking that bloated, self-aggrandizing, ignorant ass, Moyers!
12 posted on 11/03/2005 6:07:36 PM PST by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: frankjr

A Billion $$ don't buy what it used to.


13 posted on 11/03/2005 6:10:58 PM PST by Republic of Texas (Socialism Always Fails)
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To: frankjr

Another gutless pub caves to the RATS.


14 posted on 11/03/2005 6:22:44 PM PST by ozzymandus
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To: frankjr
Why is everyone quoted in this article a DemocRat?
15 posted on 11/03/2005 6:23:34 PM PST by Major Matt Mason (A believer of Marxist ideology- Groucho, Chico, Harpo and the less talented Zeppo, that is.)
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To: frankjr
""This Administration believes that since they control all branches of government, they can abuse the public trust and get away with it and Mr. Tomlinson is part of this pattern. Mr. Tomlinson's resignation should be used to bring people together, not divide them as he and the administration have done. Public Broadcasting is too important to be anybody's partisan or ideological play thing.""

I am the public.

16 posted on 11/03/2005 6:24:06 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: Conservative Firster
Image hosted by Photobucket.com thankxlot, now i can go throw up my supper...
17 posted on 11/03/2005 7:03:16 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: frankjr

ABOLISH all forms of "public broadcasting" domestically and then we won't have to debate about who's running it, who's political and who's not, etc. With the zillions of cable and satellite channels now there's no possibility that worthy programs capable of attracting even a modest audience won't find a home. A lot of the original "public interest" justification for PBS and the CPB has been ably fulfilled by channels such as History, Discovery, C-SPAN, etc. etc. And the most successful shows which defenders of PBS always cite, such as Sesame Street, will have no trouble being picked up elsewhere.


18 posted on 11/03/2005 7:43:19 PM PST by Enchante (Joe Wilson: "I don't know anything about uranium, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night!")
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