AP reports: [1]
WASHINGTON - The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, already embroiled in controversy over allegations of a liberal-leaning bias in PBS programming, chose a former Republican Party co-chairman Thursday as its president and chief executive.
Patricia S. Harrison, the assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, was selected following three days of closed-door meetings by the corporation's board of directors.
Democratic lawmakers last week urged the CPB to put off choosing a new president, citing concerns about political interference by the corporation's chairman, Kenneth Y. Tomlinson. A Republican, Tomlinson, has been critical of public affairs programming at PBS, alleging that it's too liberal.
Not sure what’s up, here. Is this a reaction to the complaints about liberal bias, or is this a hope on the part of the CPB board to save their cushy, overpaid jobs, by throwing a bone at the Republican dominated Congress?
Either way, I’m not impressed. Yes, I would suggest this would be a positive move in the direction of ending the leftist bias that CBP has always had. But I think the nation better served if we were to eliminate the CPB outright, thus removing the temptation for returning to their old tricks. And given CPB/PBS history, I think that a threat bigger than this temporary and as yet unmeasured gain.