Official Resigns Public TV Post

[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton & Elizabeth Jensen]
Michael Pack, the top television executive at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, announced on Thursday that he would be stepping down. This is the latest in a string of departures of officials and consultants who played central roles in an effort by conservatives to bring what they viewed as more balance to public television and radio. He controlled a $70 million production budget and was described by the official who hired him as a conservative Republican. He chose to resign after Patricia S. Harrison, the corporation's new president, forced him to decide between renewing his employment contract and exercising a soon-to-expire option that gives him $500,000 to produce a documentary. Since being named president of the corporation last June, Ms. Harrison, a former co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, has attempted to tamp down a debate over balance in programming that has threatened to undermine financial support for public broadcasting from both Congress and private sources. Public broadcasting officials who had been at odds with the corporation said the personnel changes could shore up support among Republican moderates and Democrats, important traditional allies in budget fights. The White House this week proposed a cut of more than $100 million, or more than 25 percent, in the corporation's budget.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/10/arts/television/10broa.html?hp&ex=1139...
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CPB press release:
http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=526