Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
February 18, 1989
Inspector General and CPB Management
Unanimously
WHEREAS,
the Inspector General Act Amendments of 1988 (hereinafter "Act") classified the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as a "designated federal agency" for purposes of the Act; and
WHEREAS,
the Board has received the advice of counsel on the effect and potential impact resulting from CPB's inclusion under the Act; and
WHEREAS,
the Board believes that CPB was improperly and inappropriately included under the Act, and that its inclusion raises serious questions about the ability of CPB to provide adequate protections to the recipients of its funds from extraneous interference or control over program content which is protected by the First Amendment; and
WHEREAS,
the Board feels strongly that it has a duty, described under the Public Broadcasting Act, to prevent the contribution of federal appropriations from having a restrictive or chilling impact on the program decisions of public broadcasters.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
that the Board directs CPB Management to implement the provisions of the Act in a manner consistent with the provisions and spirit of the Public Broadcasting Act, and in a way that provides the maximum protection of the recipients of CPB funds from interference with or control of program content;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
that the Board directs CPB Management to monitor the activities of the CPB Inspector General to assure that those activities are consistent with this resolution, the policies of the Corporation, and the Public Broadcasting Act, and to report to the Board any activities that are not consistent; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
that the Board, upon learning of activities of the CPB Inspector General which are inconsistent with the role of the Corporation as the protector of the First Amendment rights of the recipients of CPB funds, will be prepared to take any appropriate action to remove CPB from the effect of the Act.
