NPR Names Sesame Workshop's Gary Knell as New CEO/President

[Hissyspit]

Source: NPR

NPR Names Sesame Workshop's Gary Knell As New CEO/President

05:22 pm

October 2, 2011

by MARK MEMMOTT

Gary Knell, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop – producers of the Sesame Street educational children's TV show — has been named the new CEO and president of NPR. The news was broken this hour on Weekend All Things Considered. Knell will take the positions on Dec. 1.

His selection culminates a search that began last March when Vivian Schiller resigned from those positions. Two high-profile controversies had led the board of directors to conclude that she could no longer effectively lead NPR.

Knell, 57, has been leading Sesame Workshop for a dozen years. He has experience in public broadcasting, journalism and legislative affairs, according to his official Sesame Workshop bio. Before joining that organization:

- snip -

Schiller, who is now NBC News' chief digital officer, left NPR following:

— The release last March of a videotape surreptitiously made by associates of conservative activist James O'Keefe and heavily edited before its release, showing then-NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller (no relation) slamming conservatives and appearing to question whether NPR needs federal funding

Read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/10/02/140994384/npr-names-gary-knell-as-new-ceo-president?sc=nl&cc=brk-20111002-1723

[FSogol]

1. Sounds like a good choice. n/t

[Riftaxe]

2. And the benefits alone even without the salary

is more then the median income of 5 households, sweet deal if you can get it.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. It's going to take years to get all the Bu**sh**-era apointees out of gov't.

They're like double agents, dug in deep.

[No Elephants]

4. Especially if no one tries to get them out, even the political appointees.

Could take decades before they all die off or retire.

[Brickbat]

5. Well, if he continues to dumb-down NPR the way Sesame Street went down hill during his tenure...

[maxsolomon]

6. He was interviewed on NPR this morning

expect more of NPR's we'll-air-both-side's-spin-without-reporting-that-the-GOP's-spin-is-factually-incorrect reporting. wouldn't want to rile Republicans.