The thing to remember about freedom is that it is not given, it is taken

The issue is whether he is unethical. Allegations spring from the fact that Tomlinson applied a political test in pushing for the hiring of a new president and chief executive to lead the CPB - in other words, he is a loyal party bureaucrat. What Republican chair of any agency pushes for the hiring of a Democrat for a top position - or vice versa?

It is also alleged that Tomlinson acted inappropriately in secretly hiring outside consultants to monitor how partisan the shows on NPR and PBS are. But when push comes to shove, this comes down to the fact that NPR and PBS operate under different rules from the rest of the broadcast world. They are funded by taxpayers to the tune of $400 million dollars, and they expect a level of journalistic freedom from bureaucrats that is unrealistic in the private sector, where there is a financial bottom line, and the suits call the shots based on public demand - not based on party loyalty and partisan positioning. The justification for the CPB has become more nebulous and weak with every passing day.

NPR and PBS must be driven from the public trough. After five years of the federal government being controlled by the self-styled Party for Smaller Government, it has not yet happened. They have preferred to let partisan bureaucrats continue fighting over control of the federal dollars, growing the government larger and larger (see here).

Kenneth Tomlinson is gone from CPB, but does it actually herald any good and ethical change?