Score a victory for Public Broadcasting and Bill Moyers. B&C is
reporting the BushCo operative who spearheaded an attack on public broadcasting, Kenneth Tomlinson, has resigned from the Board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It seems his resignation stemmed from the findings of a report by the CPB's Inspector General as requested by Reps. David Obey (D-Wis.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.).
The CPB issued a statement which is strangely deferential to Tomlinson and places blame on "former key staff".
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board of Directors said Thursday that embattled former board chairman Ken Tomlinson has resigned.
The board has been reviewing a CPB Inspector General's report--called for by a pair of congressmen--on Tomlinson's relationship with the board stemming from Tomlinson's attempts to add more conservative programming.
The board said in a statement: "[F]ormer chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson has resigned from the CPB board. The board does not believe that Mr. Tomlinson acted maliciously or with any intent to harm CPB or public broadcasting, and the board recognizes that Mr. Tomlinson strongly disputes the findings in the soon-to-be-released Inspector General's report."
"The board expresses its disappointment in the performance of former key staff whose responsibility it was to advise the board and its members."
"Nonetheless, both the board and Mr. Tomlinson believe it is in the best interests of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that he no longer remain on the board."
"The board commends Mr. Tomlinson for his legitimate efforts to achieve balance and objectivity in public broadcasting."
A little background on Moyers/Tomlinson:
Tomlinson, as CPB Chairman, went after PBS's Bill Moyers for his "liberal bias" (read journalistic integrity). Moyers delivered a passionate and inspiring speech at the National Conference on Media Reform in May 2005, where he went right back at Tomlinson with both barrels. My favorite quote:
Hear me: an unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias,a people made morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda is less inclined to put up a fight, ask questions and be skeptical. And just as a democracy can die of too many lies, that kind of orthodoxy can kill us, too.
--B.Moyers
I can't wait to read about Tomlinson's shenanigans in the CPB Inspector General's report.
