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Bill Moyers On The Radical Right Undermining Of The Independence Of Public Broadcasting
With the increasing politicization of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the threat of funding cuts in Congress, public media in this country is facing a serious crisis. We spend the hour with legendary journalist Bill Moyers - the subject of much of the pressure brought by CPB chair Kenneth Tomlinson.
Moyers says, "I think we're at a moment in American history that is unique. I think we are in danger of losing our democracy because of the domination, the monopoly of power being exercised by the huge economic interests, both directly and indirectly. In public broadcasting we need to get back to the revolutionary spirit of dissent and courage that brought us into existence in the first place, and this country does, too."
---
Public Broadcasting is facing the most serious threat to its existence since Congress created the non-profit Corporation for Public Broadcasting more than thirty years ago. CPB is the U.S taxpayer-funded agency that passes funds to public broadcasting stations in this country. Last week the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut $100 million dollars in federal funding to the CPB which is 25 percent of it's total allocation. The proposal would also eliminate money that stations need to convert to digital programming and to upgrade technology. In addition, funds for the "Ready to Learn" program that produces children's shows such as "Sesame Street," would also be cut. All told, the cuts in the budget for public television and radio would amount to a reduction of nearly 50 percent. And the proposal would eliminate all federal funding to the corporation in two years. The full House is scheduled to vote on it this week.
At a White House news conference Monday, press secretary Scott McClellan was questioned about the funding cuts.
* White House news conference, June 20, 2005.
The threats of funding cuts to public broadcasting have come amid revelations of the increasing politicization of the CPB. Under its mandate from Congress, the CPB is required to act as an independent buffer between lawmakers and public broadcasters. But this week, National Public Radio reported that they had obtained emails from a CPB official that showed that CPB Chair Kenneth Tomlinson had conferred with the White House in hiring decisions and in shaping policy at the corporation. In past interviews, Tomlinson has said that the White House does not interfere with CPB.
Last year, he secretly paid more than $14,000 to an outside consultant, to monitor the political content of the guests on the PBS program NOW with Bill Moyers. The consultant, Fred Mann, worked for the American Conservative Union for many years.
And earlier this month, it was revealed that a former co-chair of the Republican National Committee is Tomlinson's favored candidate to take over as President of the CPB. Patricia de Stacy Harrison is currently a high-ranking official at the State Department. She was co-chair of the RNC from 1997 until January 2001, helping to raise money for Republican candidates, including George W. Bush. The vote on the position is expected to take place today.
Yesterday, sixteen senators signed a letter urging President Bush to remove Tomlinson from his position. The senators wrote, "We strongly disagree with your Administration's decision to appoint an individual to head a not-for-profit corporation such as public broadcasting who is actively undermining, under-funding, and ultimately undoing its mission."
We are joined today by the man in the crosshairs - subject of much of the pressure brought by Tomlinson, Bill Moyers. Before we go to him live, let's go to his goodbye on his show NOW last December.
* Excerpt of "Now with Bill Moyers"
Moyers was the host of NOW with Bill Moyers for three years. Over the past three decades he has become an icon of American journalism. He was one of the organizers of the Peace Corps, a special assistant for Lyndon Johnson, a publisher of Newsday, senior correspondent for CBS News and a producer of many groundbreaking series on public television. He is the winner of more than 30 Emmys, nine Peabodys, three George Polk awards and is the author of three best-selling books. His latest is called "Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times." Bill Moyers joins us in our firehouse studio for the hour.
* Bill Moyers
LISTEN ONLINE
(and read transcript of interview)
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/22/1347234
---
Public Broadcasting is facing the most serious threat to its existence since Congress created the non-profit Corporation for Public Broadcasting more than thirty years ago. CPB is the U.S taxpayer-funded agency that passes funds to public broadcasting stations in this country. Last week the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut $100 million dollars in federal funding to the CPB which is 25 percent of it's total allocation. The proposal would also eliminate money that stations need to convert to digital programming and to upgrade technology. In addition, funds for the "Ready to Learn" program that produces children's shows such as "Sesame Street," would also be cut. All told, the cuts in the budget for public television and radio would amount to a reduction of nearly 50 percent. And the proposal would eliminate all federal funding to the corporation in two years. The full House is scheduled to vote on it this week.
At a White House news conference Monday, press secretary Scott McClellan was questioned about the funding cuts.
* White House news conference, June 20, 2005.
The threats of funding cuts to public broadcasting have come amid revelations of the increasing politicization of the CPB. Under its mandate from Congress, the CPB is required to act as an independent buffer between lawmakers and public broadcasters. But this week, National Public Radio reported that they had obtained emails from a CPB official that showed that CPB Chair Kenneth Tomlinson had conferred with the White House in hiring decisions and in shaping policy at the corporation. In past interviews, Tomlinson has said that the White House does not interfere with CPB.
Last year, he secretly paid more than $14,000 to an outside consultant, to monitor the political content of the guests on the PBS program NOW with Bill Moyers. The consultant, Fred Mann, worked for the American Conservative Union for many years.
And earlier this month, it was revealed that a former co-chair of the Republican National Committee is Tomlinson's favored candidate to take over as President of the CPB. Patricia de Stacy Harrison is currently a high-ranking official at the State Department. She was co-chair of the RNC from 1997 until January 2001, helping to raise money for Republican candidates, including George W. Bush. The vote on the position is expected to take place today.
Yesterday, sixteen senators signed a letter urging President Bush to remove Tomlinson from his position. The senators wrote, "We strongly disagree with your Administration's decision to appoint an individual to head a not-for-profit corporation such as public broadcasting who is actively undermining, under-funding, and ultimately undoing its mission."
We are joined today by the man in the crosshairs - subject of much of the pressure brought by Tomlinson, Bill Moyers. Before we go to him live, let's go to his goodbye on his show NOW last December.
* Excerpt of "Now with Bill Moyers"
Moyers was the host of NOW with Bill Moyers for three years. Over the past three decades he has become an icon of American journalism. He was one of the organizers of the Peace Corps, a special assistant for Lyndon Johnson, a publisher of Newsday, senior correspondent for CBS News and a producer of many groundbreaking series on public television. He is the winner of more than 30 Emmys, nine Peabodys, three George Polk awards and is the author of three best-selling books. His latest is called "Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times." Bill Moyers joins us in our firehouse studio for the hour.
* Bill Moyers
LISTEN ONLINE
(and read transcript of interview)
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/22/1347234
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