Longtime GOP Fundraiser and NPR Critic Elected to Head CPB

Earlier this week, longtime Republican fundraiser Cheryl Halpern was elected the new chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, replacing Kenneth Tomlinson whose two-year term had ended. Before President Bush appointed Halpern to the CPB in 2002 she served on the Broadcasting Board of Governors overseeing such government-funded media projects as Voice of America, Radio Marti in Cuba and Radio Free Iraq. Halpern is also the former national chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition and she has accused National Public Radio of being biased against Israel. Like her predecessor, Kenneth Tomlinson, Halpern has also criticized the journalism of Bill Moyers.

Two years ago she publicly agreed with Senator Trent Lott's comment that Moyers is "the most partisan and nonobjective person I know in media of any kind." Halpern has given over $300,000 dollars in political contributions in recent years almost all to Republicans. Recipients have included President Bush, Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi and Sam Brownback of Kansas. The group Common Cause warned Monday that the selection of Halpern may "mean more politicizing for public broadcasting."

The CPB also elected Gay Hart Gaines, a member of the Heritage Foundation, as Vice Chair. Gaines has served as president of the Palm Beach Republican Club and is a former chairwoman of Newt Gingrich's GOPAC, the GOP political action committee that raised millions of dollars for Republican candidates across the country.

* Celia Wexler, Vice-President of advocacy at Common Cause.

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/30/1411221

Read Celia Wexler's statement before the CPB Board:
http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/CELIA_CPB_TESTIMONY_9-26-05.PDF