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Kenneth Tomlinson, the former board chairman of the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting accused by critics of trying to politicize public television
and radio, has resigned from the board, it said on Thursday.
Tomlinson, a Republican, quit shortly before CPB Inspector General Kenneth
Konz was to publish a report after investigating his activities, including paying
outside researchers to check public programing for liberal bias.
Critics, including broadcasters and congressional Democrats, accused Tomlinson
of trying to advance his own conservative agenda in public broadcasting, which
is supposed to be non-partisan.
Details of the investigation have not yet been reported. It also looked into
the selection of a former co-chair of the Republican National Committee as CPB
president, according to Sen. Byron Dorgan (news, bio, voting record), a North
Dakota Democrat.
The CPB said both the board and Tomlinson believed it was in the best interest
of the CPB that he step down.
"The board does not believe that Mr. Tomlinson acted maliciously or with
any intent to harm CPB or public broadcasting, and the board recognizes the
Mr. Tomlinson strongly disputes the findings in the soon-to-be-released inspector
general's report," the board said in a statement.
The board commended Tomlinson for "his legitimate efforts to achieve balance
and objectivity in public broadcasting."
During a Senate hearing in July on CPB's funding, Tomlinson defended his hiring
of outside lobbyists, saying they were needed to temporarily augment his agency's
small staff.
CPB is a federally funded nonprofit corporation and the largest single source
of money for U.S. public television and radio programing, including PBS and
National Public Radio. It is governed by a presidentially appointed board.
Center for Digital Democracy Executive Director Jeff Chester, a critic of Tomlinson,
said his departure was unlikely to stop what he described as behind-the-scenes
programing pressure on PBS and NPR.
"Board chair Halpern and vice chair Gaines will continue Tomlinson's legacy
to reshape public broadcasting more to the liking of conservatives," Chester
said in a statement.
Veteran Republican Party fund-raisers Cheryl Halpern and Gay Hart Gaines were
elected in September as CPB board chairman and vice chair, respectively.
