Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Mon., May. 16, 2005
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 5-16-05
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Bill Moyers Responds to CPB's Tomlinson Charges of Liberal
Bias: "We Were Getting it Right, But Not Right Wing"
Bill Moyers Responds to CPB's Tomlinson Charges of
Liberal Bias: "We Were Getting it Right, But Not Right
Wing"
In his first public address since leaving PBS six months
ago, journalist Bill Moyers responds to charges by Kenneth
Tomlinson - the chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- of liberal bias and revelations that Tomlinson hired a consultant
to monitor the political content of Moyers' PBS show "Now."
We spend the hour playing an excerpt of Moyers' closing address
at the National Conference on Media Reform in St. Louis, Missouri.
[includes rush
transcript - partial]
Over 2,000 people converged in St. Louis Missouri this weekend
for the second-ever National Conference on Media Reform. Few
issues were discussed as much as the future of public broadcasting
in this country.
The conference was held amid accusations that the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting has been largely taken over by conservatives
who are influencing programming and hiring decisions.
In April, the CBP board did not renew the contract of its
chief executive, Kathleen Cox. Board Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson
tapped Ken Ferree -- a former top aide to Michael Powell at
the Federal Communications Commission - to be her temporary
replacement.
Tomlinson has said he aims to achieve political balance on
the public airwaves. He has denied any changes have been made
for political reasons.
But Tomlinson has publicly criticized one of PBS' best known
shows - NOW - the weekly show formerly hosted by Bill Moyers.
In an Op-Ed in the Washington Times, the chair of the CPB
- Ken Tomlinson wrote "The image of the left-wing bias
of "NOW" -- unchallenged by a balancing point of
view on public broadcasting's Friday evening lineup -- was
unhealthy. Indeed, it jeopardized essential support for public
TV."
Tomlinson went on to write, "This was brought home to
me in November 2003 by a phone call from an old friend complaining
about Mr. Moyers" bias and the lack of balance on the
Friday evening lineup. He explained the foundation he heads
made a six-figure contribution to his local public television
station for digital conversion. But he declared there would
be no more contributions until something was done about the
network's bias."
A month after Tomlinson received that letter, Tomlinson sent
the head of PBS - Pat Mitchell -- a letter charging that "Now"
"does not contain anything approaching the balance the
law requires for public broadcasting."
In addition, the New York Times reported Tomlinson secretly
spent $10,000 to hire a consultant to monitor the political
leanings of Moyers' show.
Until now Bill Moyers had not responded publicly to Tomlinson's
accusations. But yesterday he gave the closing address at
the National Conference on Media Reform. It was his first
major address since leaving the anchor chair.
- Bill Moyers, speaking at the National Conference on Media
Reform in St. Louis, Missouri, May 15, 2005.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
