Vivian Schiller, NPR CEO, Resigns

NPR CEO Vivian Schiller was fired on Wednesday morning, one day after another scandal—this time involving a top fundraiser—threw the already-beleaguered network into chaos yet again. It was announced that NPR's chief lawyer, Joyce Slocum, is taking over as interim CEO.

Schiller's resignation was reported first by NPR's media reporter, David Folkenflik. Folkenflik said Schiller had been "ousted" by the board. The board's chairman, Dave Edwards, later confirmed to Folkenflik that Schiller had been fired.

"The Board accepted Vivian's resignation with understanding, genuine regret and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past 2 years," the NPR board said in a statement.

Schiller spoke to the New York Times on Wednesday following her departure. According to the Times' Brian Stelter, Schiller said that the "buck stops with me," and hoped that "my departure from NPR will have the intended effect of easing the defunding pressure on public broadcasting."

The news came after the latest scandal to hit the organization, this one involving one of its top fundraisers, Ron Schiller (no relation), and his comments about the Tea Party.

Schiller's ouster also comes during an intense period of political pressure on NPR. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has repeatedly called for NPR's government funding to be cut. Just this past Monday, Schiller appeared before the National Press Club and defended NPR's funding, calling it a vital means of support for the organization.

Schiller came to NPR in January 2009 from The New York Times. Under her tenure, NPR embarked on a large expansion of its online presence, even formally changing its name from "National Public Radio" to "NPR" in July of 2010 due to what Schiller saw as its evolving, multiplatform nature.

But the network has weathered several scandals under Schiller's tenure over the past months—most notably the firestorm of controversy surrounding the firing of Juan Williams over comments he made about Muslims. An internal review ultimately criticized Schiller and NPR for the way the firing was handled, and withheld her bonus for 2010. A top executive, Ellen Weiss, was also let go over the incident.

Comments

[jpmacco]

09:54 PM on 03/13/2011

I love NPR and think he was entitled to his own opinions as they were off record and NPR should be shamed with firing him. As a counselor, I have my biases and express them to my friends but do not show them as a professional. Should these people not have any opinions on anything? I think NPR should exist with federal funding, simlpy because I fear on its own; it may become like another talk radio show without a good omsbudman (woman).

[reluctantWASP]

12:20 AM on 03/12/2011

Why does the NPR board have a problem with people telling the truth? Sure, the whole comment on funding was a bit misplaced and untimely. However, the rest of Mr Schiller's comments were 100% accurate. It seems like they are making a big deal out of nothing. Oh my gosh an NPR executive was caught in a sting telling the truth, how horrible.

[jpmacco]

09:56 PM on 03/13/2011

Yes, and I fault NPR for his firing. In professional life we are trained to be unbiased, but in our personal life, we should be able to say what we think.

[majordump]

11:45 AM on 03/11/2011

piece of chit

[Yarrr]

09:14 AM on 03/11/2011

This is what I absolutely don't get.

A right winger gets embarrassed, does he quit his job? Hell no!

NPR gets punked, and they can't wet their pants fast enough.

Incredible.....

[Osapient1]

11:38 PM on 03/11/2011

One word, Makaka...

[gettingitright]

07:00 PM on 03/10/2011

Why do these people give in to the right wing so easily? Just like the democratic congress allowed ACORN to be thrown under the bus. When will the progressives fight back?

[PalmG]

05:21 PM on 03/10/2011

And make no mistake about it. This will mark a significant intentional shift/ overreach by NPR to prove their "fairness," much like CNN over the past decade. The further move to the right-wing continues.

[Mekales]

10:12 PM on 03/10/2011

You are absolutely right.

SO SCARY, true but, SO SCARY.

Bit by bit, piece by piece, they righties just keep nit-picking at every little thread in order to pull apart the entire tapestry!

[Whiskeyman09]

03:32 AM on 03/11/2011

Yeah, if NPR is actually going to try to you know...compete on a level playing field they probably should figure out that this is a center-right not left of center-left country. Why wouldn't they try to actually attract a larger audience?

[PalmG]

05:19 PM on 03/10/2011

I've never seen so much ado about absolutely nothing! None of the "controversies" were about anything. Juan Williams, a sub-par "pundit" is finally shown the door and all this hullabaloo comes about?

It's funny how right-wingers always say Obama and Dems are extremists who want to fundamentally destroy the country as we know it...when in reality THEY are the ones who are trying to destroy virtually every institution that makes this country special. They are vultures and this country is in trouble because 1) they've lost their minds and 2) there is no one on the opposing side with guts enough to tell them so.

[raker]

04:18 PM on 03/10/2011

The controversy is the cowardly resigning, not the accidental truth-telling.

[TheIndependentView]

03:50 PM on 03/10/2011

"Enough is Enough" Too funny!

[brwnizofmine]

03:45 PM on 03/10/2011

Didn't Schiller tell the truth? Why was she ousted? What did he lie about?

[Dosadi]

08:49 PM on 03/10/2011

That is so true. Remember Jimmy the Greek? He was fired for saying something that black America knew to be true and was not upset by.

[bellabeach]

09:47 AM on 03/11/2011

Fanned for that Ascoli, what kind of message does this send to our children!! Is there no one who can handle the truth????!!

[BdoMcGregor]

12:20 AM on 03/11/2011

The truth has a liberal bias....

[Chalkeater]

01:31 PM on 03/10/2011

Why is a bigot and a criminal like O'Keefe being given so much power?

[Yarrr]

09:14 AM on 03/11/2011

NPR is the one giving him power. Baffling......

[intellectualTradition]

12:55 PM on 03/10/2011

NPR, the next air america........liberals are like spoiled children who rail against their parents

[BlueFloyd]

02:49 PM on 03/10/2011

And many people who think in a sweeping generalized prejudiced fashion are lower than dirt. What's your point?

[SMBrown2]

11:46 AM on 03/10/2011

Don't worry libs. Her replacement is just as liberal as she is. Nothing is gonna change at National Progressive Radio except where the money comes from.

[Chalkeater]

01:32 PM on 03/10/2011

If only we could get basic cable without putting money in Rupert Murdoch's pockets.

[Leukevent]

09:40 PM on 03/10/2011

NPR: News and Public Interest Journalism at its Best

I've been a fan of NPR and PBS for over thirty years and they are about as unbiased as they come. The reason you neocons hate them so much is that they don't push your brand, or any brand for that matter----- Because they are National Public Radio and The Public Broadcasting System (emphasis on PUBLIC) for obvious ethical reasons they can't and won't---while going above and beyond to insure unbiased coverage!
In addition, they don't play to advertisers or the ratings which I think is admirable.
As regards Ron Schiller, he's certainly entitled to his private opinions, yet in his capacity as a fundraiser and while on the stump for NPR he ought to have used more discretion.
On the other hand, Vivian Schiller had zero control over a lone employee running his mouth in the field and ought not to have been canned; especially in light of the fact he was leaving anyway but then, that’s just another example of NPR going above and beyond.

Regards

[dlbnext]

11:08 AM on 03/10/2011

AOL LAYS OFF 100s AFTER HUFFPO MERGER...

[dlbnext]

11:07 AM on 03/10/2011

And her replacement is far leftest, so much for diversity.
Insanity, doing the same thing and expecting different results.

[txronson]

11:34 AM on 03/10/2011

NPR is left leaning, to be expected. Who cares how they lean as long as tax payers no longer foot the bill.

[BdoMcGregor]

12:32 AM on 03/11/2011

It's always to be expected. Anytime one has a civil discussion with inteligent people on many sides of any given issues it's liberal. Don't you know? Fair and balanced means giving a voice to only one side of the issue and employing tons of personalities to yell and scare you into submission.

[BdoMcGregor]

12:31 AM on 03/11/2011

Fox news has such a diversity of opinion. I wish NPR was more like Fox.

That Praire Home Companion is trying to brainwash our midwesterners into gay marrying and aborting!!!!!!