Kenneth Tomlinson Quits Public Broadcasting Board

[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Paul Farhi]
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, who sparked controversy by asserting that programs carried by public broadcasters have a liberal bias, resigned yesterday from the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting a day after the agency's inspector general delivered a report apparently critical of his leadership. Tomlinson, a staunch conservative who was CPB's chairman until September, brought unprecedented attention to his agency by publicly criticizing the alleged political favoritism of news programs, primarily those carried by the Public Broadcasting Service. CPB wields great influence over public radio and TV stations through its distribution of about $400 million in federal funding each year. The CPB's inspector general has been investigating Tomlinson's practice of using agency money to hire consultants and lobbyists without notifying the agency's board. Tomlinson last year hired a little-known Indiana consultant to study the political leanings of guests on such programs as "Now With Bill Moyers" and "The Diane Rehm Show" on National Public Radio. He also hired lobbyists to defeat legislation that would have changed how CPB's board is structured. The inspector, Kenneth Konz, also had been looking into whether Tomlinson violated agency procedures in his recruiting of former Republican National Committee co-chairman Patricia de Stacy Harrison to be CPB's chief executive, and into possible White House influence in the hiring of two in-house ombudsmen to critique news programs on NPR and PBS. Konz delivered his preliminary findings to CPB's board Tuesday night, but the report will not be made public until midmonth. Despite his departure, the CPB remains firmly controlled by conservatives. Tomlinson's successor as chairman, Cheryl F. Halpern, is a longtime contributor to Republicans, including President Bush and Sen. Trent Lott (Miss.). Its vice chairman, Gay Hart Gaines, another Republican contributor, was a founder and former chairman of GOPAC, a powerful GOP fundraising group.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/03/AR200511...
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* Broadcasting Ex-Chairman Is Removed From Board
The NYTimes reports that Tomlinson was forced to resign.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/04/politics/04broadcast.html

* Former CPB Chairman Ken Tomlinson Resigns
Rep Ed Markey (D-MA) said, "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."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6281019?display=Breaking+News...
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* Broadcast Board Member Quits Ahead of Report
"To me, the whole episode points to a need for long-term reform of the governance of that organization," said John Lawson, president of the Assn. of Public Television Stations, whose board recently renewed its efforts to expand the CPB board and include more station representatives.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-cpb4nov04,1,4805...