Developing Story
NPR CEO Vivian Schiller resigns after undercover video
NPR just announced on its site breaking news that Vivian Schiller has resigned. The CEO of NPR came under criticism last year for her handling of Juan Williams, a former employee who was fired after making comments about Muslims on a Fox News show.
Tuesday an undercover video of NPR executive Ron Schiller (no relation to Vivian Schiller) brought more negative press to the network.
NPR Statement
This follows yesterday's news that then-NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller (no relation) was videotaped slamming conservatives and questioning whether NPR needs federal funding during a lunch with men posing as members of a Muslim organization (they were working with political activist James O'Keefe on a "sting.")
Vivian Schiller quickly condemned Ron Schiller's comments, and he moved up an already-announced decision to leave NPR and resigned effectively immediately. But Ron Schiller's gaffe followed last fall's dismissal of NPR political analyst Juan Williams, for which Vivian Schiller came under harsh criticism and NPR's top news executive, Ellen Weiss, resigned.
NPR just sent this statement from NPR Board of Directors Chairman Dave Edwards to its staff and member stations:
It is with deep regret that I tell you that the NPR Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Vivian Schiller as President and CEO of NPR, effective immediately.
The Board accepted her resignation with understanding, genuine regret, and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years.
Vivian brought vision and energy to this organization. She led NPR back from the enormous economic challenges of the previous two years. She was passionately committed to NPR's mission, and to stations and NPR working collaboratively as a local-national news network.
According to a CEO succession plan adopted by the Board in 2009, Joyce Slocum, SVP of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, has been appointed to the position of Interim CEO. The Board will immediately establish an Executive Transition Committee that will develop a timeframe and process for the recruitment and selection of new leadership.
I recognize the magnitude of this news - and that it comes on top of what has been a traumatic period for NPR and the larger public radio community. The Board is committed to supporting NPR through this interim period and has confidence in NPR's leadership team.
Salon had an article yesterday NPR sting also nets ... Pamela Geller? speculating that everal notoriously anti-Muslim bloggers were taken in by a fake radical Islamic website set up by James O'Keefe.
Wiki
gives some background:
NPR, formerly National Public Radio,[1][2] is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to 797 public radio stations in the United States of America.[3] NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. This act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which also created the Public Broadcasting Service in addition to NPR. A CPB organizing committee under John Witherspoon first created a Board of Directors chaired by Bernard Mayes. This Board then hired Donald Quayle to be the first President of NPR with studios in Washington D.C., 30 employees and 90 public radio stations as charter members.
NPR produces and distributes news and cultural programming. Individual public radio stations are not required to broadcast all NPR programs that are produced. Most public radio stations broadcast a mixture of NPR programs, content from rival providers American Public Media, Public Radio International and Public Radio Exchange, and locally produced programs. NPR's flagships are two drive time news broadcasts, Morning Edition and the afternoon All Things Considered; both are carried by most NPR member stations, and from 2002–2008 they were the second and third most popular radio programs in the country.[4][5] In a Harris poll conducted in 2005, NPR was voted the most trusted news source in the U.S.[6]
NYT reports
Controversy has swirled around NPR in recent months, as Republicans in Congress have sought to reduce or eliminate money for NPR from the federal budget and as conservatives have accused the network of having a liberal bias. Most recently, a political activist released a video clip showing a fund-raising executive giving harsh personal views of the Tea Party movement in a meeting with people posing as prospective donors.
[...]
Ms. Schiller joined NPR in January 2009 after serving as a senior vice president at The New York Times Company, where she was general manager of nytimes.com.