Mensch tracht, und Gott lacht

Friday, February 10, 2006

Another Conservative Forced out of CPB

Another political conservative has left the federal-government-supported Corporation for Public Broadcasting as the corporation's leaders continue a purge of right-of-center voices that had joined the organization in the past few years, the New York Times reports:

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.

The executive, Michael Pack, 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.

Ms. Harrison said the departures of Mr. Pack and a senior consultant, James Denton, were business decisions and were not part of any purge of ideologically driven officials. "You are connecting dots when there is no connection," she said in an interview. "I have not fired a single person since I came on board here."

But other officials in public broadcasting saw political overtones to the moves. 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
[complaints from the right about leftward bias at the corporation] 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.

My answer is the classical liberal one:

End government funding of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.

I guess that makes me not a "traditional ally" in budget fights. Who would have thought it?

12 comments:

James F. Elliott said...

...the corporation's leaders continue a purge of right-of-center voices...

This is the first I've heard of it. Please elaborate.

Hunter Baker said...

" . . . determined to pervert CPB"

That's right dammit. The left has a right to public funding of their own television no matter what you may think. It's an outrage that there can even be a privately owned network that doesn't tilt left.

Why, there oughtta be a law. Grumble. Grumble.

Tom Van Dyke said...

"...tamp down a debate [complaints from the right about leftward bias at the corporation] over balance in programming that has threatened to undermine financial support for public broadcasting from both Congress and private sources."

Italics mine---follow the money. I believe you'll find that most of the contributing foundations (and "members," come to think of it) lean left. Put "Rush Limbaugh's Week in Review" on CPB and the whole thing'll come crashing down.

Barry Vanhoff said...

I really like the way it is funded. Lets take tax money from the poor and fund a station (TV/radio) that only wealthy white liberals pay attention to ... and spare me the crap about "its for the children!"

James F. Elliott said...

..."its for the children!"

Aw, you're just jealous that someone else is using the "Please, God, won't someone think of the children?!" meme. =]

What do you have against Big Bird, Republicans? Huh? Why do you want to kill the Cookie Monster?

And now we return you to the serious portion of the discussion...

Hunter Baker said...

When it comes to NPR and objectivity, I have five words that say it all:

Nina

Totenberg

Supreme

Court

"Reporter"

Kathy Hutchins said...

Our local (Washington) NPR station recently went to a mostly all talk format, abandoning the classical music programming that I listened to for many years until the commentators came gradually to overwhelm it.

How fortunate we are that the DC market can support a commercial classical station with no problem. Kind of makes you wonder what that "If we don't do it, who will?" fundraising campaign was about. I did have a bit of a scare on January 1 when I turned to 103.5 and discovered WTOP parked there, until I figured out that Bonneville had just switched their frequencies around and moved WGMS up to 104.1.

Tom Van Dyke said...

That was a poll. This is a study.

Hunter Baker said...

I second the young Karnick. I'm a longtime listener of NPR and the tendencies/sympathies are quite clear. I still enjoy it and find that it is far easier to listen to when a Dem is president because the staff is not working so hard in its "opposition" role.

Matt Huisman said...

I agree with those sentiments completely Hunter. I think we can enjoy each others company more - and they can appreciate ours - when we're comfortable with our own skin.

James F. Elliott said...


And now we return you to the serious portion of the discussion...


Did you miss this part of the post in your eager attempt to shoot me down, buzz? I was joking.

James F. Elliott said...

Buzz, that's the dumbest statement I've ever heard someone make. You're defending a direct attack on me by trying to generalize it after the fact. You were wrong, man. Just suck it up and move on.