[Mb-civic] Ask CPB Chairman Tomlinson to Stop Playing Politics withPublic Broadcasting

[richard haase]

wow bill using titles whats the occassion?
lol
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: William Swiggard, MD, PhD 
  To: Hey there, CIVIC friends 
  Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2005 9:46 AM
  Subject: [Mb-civic] Ask CPB Chairman Tomlinson to Stop Playing Politics withPublic Broadcasting


  Hey there, CIVIC friends,

  As a member of Common Cause, we are deeply concerned about the current direction of the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and its chairman, Kenneth Tomlinson. 

  We expect the CPB and its chairman to defend critical, fact-based reporting and respect the editorial independence of public broadcasting. Clearly, your actions have demonstrated a lack of respect or even understanding of public broadcasting's mission in a democracy. As concerned citizens we ask that you change course immediately and: 

  - Stop efforts to influence programming decisions at National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 

  - Eliminate the two ombudsman positions recently created to evaluate and critique public broadcasting programs for bias. This is an inappropriate role for the CPB and is contrary to its mission of serving as a "heat shield" to protect public broadcasting from political influence. 

  - Support the appointment of board members to the CPB who have demonstrated expertise and commitment to public broadcasting as opposed to the current system, which favors the appointment of partisans. 

  - Publicly assure journalists working for public broadcasting that they can conduct fact based investigative reporting critical of government without fear of reprisals. 

  We the undersigned ask you and the CPB board to stop playing politics that undermine the integrity of public broadcasting. 

  Ask CPB Chairman Tomlinson to Stop Playing Politics with Public Broadcasting. 

  go to: 
  http://www.commoncause.org/ProtectPublicBroadcasting 

  Follow This Link to visit the website.
  ****************************************************************************
  Some email systems do not support the use of links and therefore this link may not appear to work.
  If so, copy and paste the following into your browser:
  http://www.commoncause.org/site/lookup.asp?link=4229
  ****************************************************************************

  William Swiggard, MD, PhD 


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