Tomlinson’s ‘Balance’ Drive Provokes Cries for CPB Reform

Reforms could begin with more station representatives being nominated to the CPB board, said Assn. of Public TV Stations (APTS) Pres. John Lawson. He said such a proposal was made last year, when the Senate Commerce Committee dealt with a CPB reauthorization bill, but Tomlinson allegedly used CPB funds to hire lobbyists to try to kill the measure. There was bipartisan support for another proposal to codify requirements that the CPB consult with local stations before spending money on things like programming and digital conversion, Lawson added.

The CPB hasn’t seen any formal reform proposals yet, said Dir.-Govt. Affairs Eben Peck: “But we look forward to seeing them and working with members of the public broadcasting community and Congress on these issues.” However, a CPB source told us CPB, APTS, NPR and PBS agreed last year on compromise language on the composition of the CPB board, sending a joint letter to that effect to Senate Commerce Committee leaders for inclusion in CPB reauthorization language.

Another idea being discussed by public broadcasting organizations and stations is a sunshine requirement for CPB board meetings, said Lawson. The CPB requires that public TV and radio stations, as well as PBS, NPR and APTS, conduct their board meetings in the open, he said, and “we think CPB should honor the same requirement.” The CPB board, he said, conducts most of its business in executive session. “We think that the CPB board is abusing its discretion,” Lawson said. APTS also will strive to get “Washington politics” out CPB governance, Lawson said, with language assuring the CPB board includes a broad range of eminent citizens.

The APTS board will develop CPB reform options, then consult with member stations, Lawson said. APTS also is talking to other national entities like PBS and NPR, he said: “The effort to battle the funding cuts has united APTS, NPR and PBS as never before. We would hope to continue in that spirit around the development of any CPB reform.”

Rod Bates, gen. mgr. of the Neb. Network and PBS board member, said reforms wouldn’t be needed if the CPB board followed the spirit of the enabling statute. CPB, which was meant to be a firewall, should be nonpartisan, he said. If those safeguards are already in place, they should be enforced, he said. But if they aren’t, “yes, absolutely, we should seek reform.” CPB board members should have staggered terms so no one political party controls the board, Bates said. And CPB board meetings should take place more openly, he added: “Any time there is a public dollar subsidizing a service it absolutely is essential it’s an open process.”

The CPB board should have representatives with “closer” relationships to station licensees, said Steve Bass, pres. of the Nashville Public TV and former APTS chmn. There’s now no such requirement, he added. For many years, he said, there have been TV and radio designees on the board “who really had almost no connections.” Other reforms relating to grant formulas and allocation of programming funds are best left to the CPB board and the public broadcasting system, he said. “I'm not sure all those things should be handled in a legislative forum.” CPB’s authorizing statute requires stations to conduct open board meetings, he said, and “CPB needs to be complying with the same law.” He said he wants know what is so proprietary in CPB board meetings that they must be “held behind closed doors. Clearly they are dealing with public money.” Opening up CPB board meetings isn’t merely a legal issue, Bass said: “It seems to me that if CPB wants to regain the trust of public broadcasters and of the press… then open it up, guys. Lay it all out there, that’s what’s going to solve the problem.”

Jerry Starr, exec. dir. of the Citizens for Independent Public Bcstg., urged replacement of CPB and PBS with a public broadcasting trust. The existing system, he said, is unworkable and has “structural flaws that are always going to be abused.” The CPB board, he said, always has consisted of political appointees, with no requirement of a background in education, journalism or broadcasting. Many appointees come with an agenda, he said, and “rather than provide a defensive service from critics in Congress, they pile on and make the job of PBS and its member stations more difficult.” That’s a pattern that has persisted over the years, he said, and “I do not think the system can be saved.” Starr said many groups want Tomlinson’s ousted: “While that seems necessary, there is no guarantee there won’t be another Tomlinson.” So the “most efficient solution,” he said, is to “recreate PBS” as an independently funded public trust.

Recent incidents underline the need for “significant” CPB reform, said Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy. He said restructuring the CPB is a long term policy goal for groups like his. But given the political climate it’s not practical to expect major reform in the short term, he said: “The CPB under both the Democrats and the Republicans is operating in a different century.” Congress should require the CPB board to be transparent, he said.

A first effort at CPB reform this year failed last month, with the House defeating 218-187 an amendment by Rep. Hinchey (D-N.Y.)to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill to bar the CPB board from controlling the content of public TV and radio stations. Hinchey, chmn. of the Future of America Media Caucus, vowed to continue his fight to “keep political influence out of public broadcasting.” Accusing Tomlinson of waging a “deliberate campaign” to politicize public broadcasting and interfere with the content of public TV and radio, he said “we will not give up until we put an end to it.”