Kenneth Tomlinson

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Kenneth Y. Tomlinson (born March 8, 1944) is an American government official. He currently serves as the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which manages Voice of America radio. According to The New York Times, there is an ongoing inquiry concerning possible criminal misuse of federal money by Tomlinson.[1] Investigators at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said on 15 November 2005 "that they had uncovered evidence that its former chairman had repeatedly broken federal law and the organization's own regulations in a campaign to combat what he saw as liberal bias."[2] According to the New York Times, State Department investigators determined in 2006 that he had "used his office to run a 'horse racing operation'," that he "improperly put a friend on the payroll," that he "repeatedly used government employees to perform personal errands," and that he "billed the government for more days of work than the rules permit."[3]

He is a former board member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and served as chairman from September 2003 to September 2005. During his time as chairman, he pursued aggressive policies of adding conservative viewpoint to CPB's programming. An internal investigation into his acts as chairman led to his resignation in November 2005.

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[edit] Biography

A native of Grayson County, Virginia, Tomlinson began his career in journalism working as a reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1965. In 1968 he joined the Washington bureau of Reader's Digest.

He was a correspondent in Vietnam, and co-authored the book P.O.W., a history of American prisoners of war in the Vietnam War. In 1977 and 1978, he worked out of the Digest's Paris bureau covering events in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

During that time, Tomlinson married Ann Sale of Ashland, VA, a school teacher, but the couple soon divorced. He later married Rebecca Moore Tomlinson, a former congressional aide. They live at Springbrook Farm in Fauquier County, Virginia and have two sons. William M. Tomlinson graduated from Vanderbilt University and is a sports producer at CNN in Atlanta. Lucas Y. Tomlinson is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and assigned to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.

Tomlinson was director of the Voice of America from 1982 to 1984. In 1985 he was named chairman of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The following year he was appointed to the U.S. Board for International Broadcasting where he served until 1994.

Following his work at VOA, Tomlinson returned to Reader's Digest as managing editor in 1984. He was named executive editor in 1985 and became editor-in-chief in 1989.

Tomlinson was the Virginia Press Association's Virginian of the Year in 1994 and is a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame.

Tomlinson retired as editor-in-chief of Reader's Digest in 1996 to pursue his lifelong interest in thoroughbred breeding and racing.

In 1999, Tomlinson was named president and director of the National Sporting Library in Middleburg.

[edit] Investigation of misuse of public funds

It has been reported on August 30, 2006[4] that he is being investigated for misuing State Department funds on Voice of America. It has also been reported[5] that he ran his horse business from his government office.

[edit] CPB Tenure

Tomlinson was appointed to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors by President Bill Clinton and was confirmed in September 2000.

Tomlinson was appointed as chairman of the CPB board by President George W. Bush, for a two-year term, in September 2003. He embarked upon a mission to purge CPB of what he perceived as "liberal bias." His efforts sparked complaints of political pressure. His close friendship with Karl Rove is one of many concerns the public has had about his own bias and his intent with respect to CPB, and accusations that he was attempting to turn the balanced content to a right wing agenda similar to FOX television.

Tomlinson commissioned a $10,000 study into Bill Moyers' PBS program, "Now with Bill Moyers" without informing the board of the investigation.[6] He also retained two Republican lobbyists to try to defeat a Congressional proposal that would have increased the representation of broadcasters on the board, again without informing the board of the contracts.

The inspector general's report issued 15 November 2005 said that Mr. Tomlinson appears to have violated both the federal law and the corporation's own rules in raising $5 million to underwrite The Journal Editorial Report, a PBS program by the famously conservative editorial board of The Wall Street Journal.[7]

In April 2005, the contract of the former CPB president, Kathleen Cox, was not renewed. She was replaced by Ken Feree, a Republican and former adviser to chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Powell.

Tomlinson resigned from the CPB board on November 4, 2005 after the board saw the report about his tenure by the Inspector General of the CPB, requested by House Democrats. The report described possible political influence on personnel decisions, including e-mail correspondence between Tomlinson and the White House which indicated that Tomlinson "was strongly motivated by political considerations in filling the president/CEO position."

Tomlinson was replaced by Cheryl Halpern, an activist Republican.

[edit] Broadcasting Board of Governors Tenure

In July 2005, the State Department opened an inquiry into Tomlinson's work at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, after Representative Howard L. Berman, Representative Tom Lantos and Senator Christopher Dodd forwarded accusations of misuse of money from an employee at the board.

The New York Times reported that the inquiry was pursuing accusations that Tomlinson had spent federal money for personal purposes and hired unqualified and ghost employees. It also reported that State Department investigators had seized records and e-mail from the board, including correspondence between Tomlinson and Karl Rove, President George W. Bush's chief advisor. Rove, an old friend of Tomlinson's, helped to secure Tominson's position as chairman.


A summary of the year-long report, prepared by the inspector general of the State Department was released by Mr Berman on August 29, 2006. It concludes that Tomlinson used his office at the Broadcasting Board of Governors to oversee a stable of thoroughbreds. Berman has asked that Tomlinson be removed from his position immediately in the light of the reports findings.[8]


In early September 2006, the BBG appointees voted on two resolutions related to the inspector general's report: whether to call for Tomlinson's resignation, and whether to sharply curtail his authority. Both resolutions failed in votes that split along the Governors' party lines.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Stephen Labaton; Steven R. Weisman, New York Times, "Spending Inquiry For Top Official On Broadcasting" (subscription needed), November 5, 2005.
  2. ^ Stephen Labaton, New York Times, "Ex-Chairman of Public Broadcasting Violated Laws, Inquiry Suggests" (subscription needed), November 16, 2005.
  3. ^ Stephen Labaton, New York Times, "Broadcast Chief Misused Office, Inquiry Reports", August 30, 2006. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2006.
  4. ^ CNN, expired link
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ Stephen Labaton, Lorne Manly AND Elizabeth Jensen, New York Times, "CHAIRMAN EXERTS PRESSURE ON PBS, ALLEGING BIASES", May 2, 2005 (subscription required)
  7. ^ Stephen Labaton, New York Times, "Ex-Chairman of Public Broadcasting Violated Laws, Inquiry Suggests", November 16, 2005 (subscription required)
  8. ^ "Broadcast Chief Misused Office, Inquiry Reports", The New York Times, 2006-08-30.
  9. ^ "Head of Broadcasts Board Survives Efforts to Oust Him", The New York Times, 2006-09-14.


[edit] External links

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