CPB’s Board of Directors at its meeting today (Nov. 16) in New Orleans approved a resolution expressing its “deep concerns about the consequences of NPR’s decisions” in the handling of correspondent Juan Williams’ dismissal — a termination that is now undergoing an external review. It says that the public television and radio systems are “highly interdependent,” which means the “actions of one public media stakeholder can affect the welfare of the others and the public media system as a whole.” The resolution states that public reaction has been “highly critical.” And it concludes that the consequences of NPR’s actions are “renewed challenges to public media’s journalistic integrity, Congressional attempts to reduce or eliminate funding for public media, and the impact such reductions will have on public media’s future programming and services.”
Current - For people in public media
Current (https://current.org/2010/11/cpb-board-resolution-cites-its-deep-concerns-regarding-npr-firing-of-juan-williams/)
Way to play politics, CPB board!
How about writing up a resolution that condemns NPR for *HIRING* Juan Williams in the first place?
And while you’re at it, can we chastise NPR for giving a nearly-six-figure salary to Cokie Roberts for years so she could sit in her bathrobe at home on Monday mornings and yap about Washington politics for 10 minutes a week? Talk about buying access…
Meanwhile, why is Mara Liaison being paid? She’s an even bigger hack than Williams.
Oh, I know, I know… CPB needs to kiss some Tea Party ass these days to keep the defunders at bay. I just prefer backroom bargaining to happen behind closed doors. Seeing it out in the open like this is revolting.
As for NPR — dump the highly-paid “insider” sources. Or at least stop paying them. They should be paying YOU to appear on your air. They get plenty of money from book sales and speaking tours. They don’t need NPR dollars. Give ’em a tote bag and a hearty thank-you.
And tell the CPB they can keep their 2-3% of your annual funding.