Corporation for Public Broadcasting
|
|
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private non-profit corporation which is chartered and funded by the United States Federal Government to promote public broadcasting. The CPB was created on November 7, 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. CPB initially collaborated with the pre-existing National Educational Television network, but in 1969 decided to start its own network, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides some funding for the Public Broadcasting Service and member stations of National Public Radio, as well as broadcasters that are independent of those organizations. CPB also funds some Internet-based projects.
In 2005, the agency received US$368.8 million in federal appropriations, about 90% of which is to be distributed to public broadcasters across the country, including both local and national organizations. About $30 million goes to PBS itself, though many more public television stations receive CPB funding, which is then used to pay fees to air PBS programs. The CPB has eight board members who serve six-year terms and are selected by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. According to the Public Broadcasting Act, the White House cannot appoint more than 5 of the 9 CPB board seats; thus one seat, previously occupied by a Democratic appointee, is now vacant.
Under the administration of George W. Bush, the board has become Republican dominated, and there have been complaints by people within PBS and NPR that the CPB is starting to push a conservative agenda, while board members counter that they are merely "seeking balance". However, polls of the PBS and NPR audiences in 2002 and 2003 indicated that few felt that the groups' news reports contained bias, and those that saw a slant were split on which side they believed the reports favored.
Board members
These eight board members are in office as of April 2005 (a ninth seat is vacant):
- Kenneth Y. Tomlinson (chairman)
- Frank H. Cruz (vice chairman)
- Katherine Milner Anderson
- Beth Courtney
- Gay Hart Gaines
- Cheryl Halpern
- Claudia Puig
- Ernest J. Wilson III
See also
External links
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting (http://www.cpb.org/)
References
- Paul Farhi (April 22, 2005). PBS Scrutiny Raises Political Antennas. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8067-2005Apr21.html) The Washington Post.