PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

What the heck is going on at NPR? They seem to have established a clear pattern: get caught in a media whiplash, and you are gone, finito, baby. The purpose of the resignation of the its president, Vivian Schiller, seems apparent, however: she was thrown to the wolves in the middle of the Republican/Tea Pot controversy over whether any Federal money should be spent on public broadcasting.

NPR, where I once worked, has always been a somewhat fearful, tentative enterprise because of the Federal money that flows to keep it going. The money comes from Congress, goes to the CPB and from thence to the local radio stations which, in turn, send a lot of it back to NPR in Washington to support the programing they carry. NPR understood a long time ago that the political and social support for public radio was out there, around the country and the best way to avoid controversy was to hand the Federal money to the stations. Likewise, when Congress tries to cut off the money, people in the local communities then rise up to support their station, their contact point with public radio.

They (NPR) have now established the precedent that any media flap doddle can bring down almost any target. That’s hardly a good thing for a business (and it is a business) that is mainly a news organization. Such is the compromised nature, however, of a non-profit that depends on unsteady tax revenues to keep itself afloat.

Doug Terry, 3.9.11

HERE’S THE TEXT OF THE RESIGNATION ANNOUNCEMENT:

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 C.E.O. 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, S.V.P. of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, has been appointed to the position of Interim        C.E.O. 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.

RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE, South Carolina Republican Senator DeMint jumps on NPR in a twitter posting:

JimDeMint It's not about who NPR/PBS hires or fires. It's about taxpayer funding: We can't afford it and they don't need

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