Local Public Television Stations Call for Major Reform of the CPB Board

[SOURCE: Association of Public Television Stations]
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) has put forward a series of legislative changes to elevate the professionalism and de-politicize the governance of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, maintain local station support, and guarantee public broadcasting’s editorial integrity. The proposals put forward by the board include: 1) Increasing professionalism and local station representation by requiring that at least two of the political appointments be representatives from public television stations and at least two be representatives of public radio stations. Currently, one seat each is reserved for public television and radio station representatives. The reforms also call for greater station participation in consultations on all CPB funding decisions. 2) Restoring political balance by reducing to eight the number of seats reserved on the CPB board for political appointments by the president, with no more than four being members of the same political party. Currently, the president can appoint five members of his own party to a nine-person board. As now, Senate confirmation would be required for these seats. 3) De-politicizing and further professionalizing the CPB board by adding five voting ex officio seats designated for persons that lead five other national arts, cultural and scientific organizations. This change is consistent with the 1979 report of the Carnegie Commission on the Future of Public Broadcasting. 4) Promoting transparency of CPB board actions by explicitly requiring that the CPB board meet in open session, with only narrowly defined exceptions. 5) Further ensuring balance by requiring that the CPB board chair and vice-chair not be from the same political party. 6) Further de-politicizing the organization by explicitly prohibiting the CPB board and management from hiring outside political lobbyists or consultants.
http://www.apts.org/