WASHINGTON - The Corporation for
Public Broadcasting board delayed selection of a new president
for the public TV and radio funding clearing house Tuesday as
criticism of the board chairman and cries to roll back funding
cuts hit a new high note.
On Tuesday, 16 Democratic Senators asked President Bush to
remove board chairman Ken Tomlinson, arguing that he has shown
a pattern of partisanship that has no place in the CPB.
Led by Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Dianne Feinstein,
D-Calif., the Senators said Tomlinson's removal was needed
because he's shown "a pattern of political activities."
Tomlinson is under investigation by the CPB inspector
general for paying outside groups, some with GOP ties, to
decide if programing such as "Now With Bill Moyers" has a
liberal or anti-White House slant. Reportedly many of these
contracts were approved without board consent.
"Allegations (have surfaced) about diverting taxpayer
monies to Republican lobbyists and consultants to monitor
content under the guise of trying to make the programing more
'balanced,"' Feinstein said. "We all know that what is needed
to create balance is subjective. There are allegations from all
sides of the political spectrum that the media is too liberal
or too conservative."
In addition, Feinstein expressed concern that Tomlinson has
failed to fight vigorously against $200 million in cuts to
CPB's budget voted by the House Appropriations Committee.
"Mr. Tomlinson did not rise to publicly fight the cut," she
said. "This is astounding. I don't know any CEO or chairman of
the board who wouldn't stand up and fight for its dollars
needed to support its budget."
During the CPB's board meeting, Tomlinson decried
partisanship, saying that for CPB to function "there must be a
strong sprit of bipartisanship."
"When people with partisan traditions walk into CPB they
leave partisanship at the door," he said. "We want these people
on our side -- right, left and middle -- if we want to continue
our broad-based support. We at public broadcasting must do
everything to demonstrate that we take our objectives
seriously."
During the meeting, Tomlinson urged the board to dedicate
all its energies to a united effort to overturn the cuts. "We
must be focused on restoring the funds," he said.
While a majority of the board naturally support that goal
and refused to publicly attack Tomlinson or his primary choice
to head CPB (Patricia de Stacy Harrison, a former co-chairman
of the Republican National Committee and a high-ranking State
Department official), Ernest Wilson challenged him to keep his
own pledge.
"Stay away from partisanship for the chief executive
officer," he said. "We do not need to select someone who is a
high-level political appointee for either of the parties."
It was unclear when the board would make a selection.
Another board meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, and a
selection could be made then. Board members weren't talking
about it, however, having taken a vow of silence. While
Harrison still appeared to be the front-runner, Ken Ferree, a
former top FCC official and the acting CPB head, is still in
the running.
Board member Elizabeth Courtney said she wanted the process
opened up but had been given no agenda for today's meeting or a
timetable for the selection.
"They certainly aren't telling me," she said.
© 2005 Reuters Ltd
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