Is PBS still getting bonuses…or, as described here…."compensation"
that exceeds a congressionally mandated pay cap? And what's up
with Bill Moyers?
Way back there in something known as the Clinton era (his), a
publication called Current came up with the story linked
to above that says, at the time PBS'ers were getting exactly
that. I’m unable to find s any follow-up here, but since
Monsieurs Frank and Cuomo are demanding names of those taking
bonuses from taxpayers, perhaps its time to revive the subject.
Should the first name on this list of inquiries be Bill Moyers?
Repeated attempts to get the precise details of
the financials between Moyers and the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting have been rebuffed for years. Stephen Hayes of the
Weekly Standard explored this situation in some depth
back in 2002, eliciting this irritated quote from Moyers about
his public funding:
When I asked Moyers if he sees any irony in the fact that he's
a wealthy man owing in no small part to his long association
with public television, the MVP of PBS told me that he's no
different from any other public servant--fireman, policeman, or
teacher. But when I reminded him that their salaries are
matters of public record, he once again reverted to the status
of private contractor.
"I make the same disclosures any privately held company
makes," he insisted. "I am an independent producer who has made
a decent living, by choice in public television as opposed to
commercial television. I'm not Enron."
Well, as of today, the hounds are loosed. In the world of Barney
and Andy everyone has a right to know who gets public money of
any kind and how much. So, what's up with PBS, NPR and its parent
Corporation for Public Broadcasting? Are they the AIG of the
media? Are they still ladling out monies above the caps?
And isn't time for Bill Moyers to do the right thing like
those scoundrels on Wall Street? If they take the bucks, we need
the info or Andrew Cuomo will sue and Barney Frank will issue
subpoenas. Go to it, gentlemen.
