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May 15, 2007

Guma to step down as Pacifica chief

In a statement describing his role as a transitory leader for Pacifica, Executive Director Greg Guma writes about his achievements after two years in the job. [Via Rolas de Aztlan.] "I have tried to raise some fundamental questions--for example, the question of whether Pacific’s current governance structure is sustainable or even wise--while simultaneously avoiding actions that would produce debilitating resistance," Guma writes.

OPB faces state funding cuts

Oregon Public Broadcasting CEO Steve Bass says $1.25 million in proposed funding cuts could hamper his network's digital transition in this editorial.

War doc flap = "politically correct overkill"

So says Broadcasting & Cable blogger John Eggerton, who weighs in on PBS's recent experience catching heat from both the left and the right and worries that the network may be setting a "poor precedent for independence" in the dispute over Ken Burns' The War: "PBS should clearly reflect the various, competing, voices of the public it serves, but it should not give undue weight or give into political pressure from either side." For a different take, see this column from Ruben Navarrette Jr., who thinks Burns was right to give in to pressure by Hispanic activists.

"One of the cultural gems of Massachusetts" (the tenant, but maybe the building, too)

WGBH President Henry Becton took the Boston Globe for a tour of the station's prominent new building last week, and the newspaper responded in an editorial on Sunday: "The complex will become a visual landmark to match the importance of WGBH as a cultural institution." Notable besides the outdoor electronic mural: a 210-seat theater with access for people with limited sight and hearing; widened sidewalks so that pedestrians can watch radio broadcasts from the windows without disrupting foot traffic; and (reportedly) attentive liaison with the community. Current looked at plans for new headquarters for WGBH and Minnesota Public Radio.