VPT Board to CPB

From our CEO, "Attached is a letter from the VPT Board of Directors to the CPB Board of Directors in response to the recent actions by the CPB Board Chairman. I am pleased that our board has joined boards from around the country expressing their concerns to the CPB Board."

The attached:
June 1, 2005

Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson
Board of Directors
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
401 Ninth Street, NW
Washington, D. C. 20004

Dear Mr. Chairman:

The Board of Vermont's statewide public television network is concerned about PBS losing its editorial and programming independence. Of course, it is part of CPB's job to facilitate objectivity and balance in public broadcasting, but reports of your recent advocacy concerning particular public affairs programs risk making viewers question whether we local stations are truly the ultimate decision-makers on what goes on air.

At Vermont Public Television, we have a specific editorial independence policy and expect nothing less at the national level.

Independent as VPT is in its local production and scheduling, we must rely on what comes to us from the PBS National Program Service. NPS programs attract local viewers and local financial support.

There is nothing more important to us than the trust of our viewers. If CPB is seen to influence programming content in a political way that trust will be lost.

We have always looked to CPB to insulate public broadcasting from the politics of the day. We appreciate the historic role of CPB as a buffer between politicians and broadcasters, but are concerned that this role is now being compromised. As you know, this year's Roper survey found that Americans trust the institution of public television and its news and public affairs programs. They believe in its fairness. We urge you to trust the producers of our national programs and the programmers at PBS to provide the balance in programming that earned that reputation.

Finally, we believe you can build public trust if you conduct an open national search for the next president of CPB and find a leader whose background and reputation demonstrate independence above the political fray.

Sincerely,


William P. Stritzler
Chair

c: CPB board members

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