Tomlinson's troubles

Kenneth Tomlinson: Ethically challenged maven of sleaze

The inspector general at the Department of State finds the ethically challenged Kenneth Tomlinson, the reappointed chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, has been improperly using his office to promote his own business interests and to dole out a large consulting contract to a friend.

Consider if you will, Kenneth L. Tomlinson, the Bush appointee to chair the Corporation for Public Broadcasting who was forced to resign after trying to politicize and Republicanize that agency. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Tomlinson, who has most recently been serving as chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) -- "the federal board that oversees most government broadcasts to foreign countries" including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, the Arab-language Alhurra, and Radio Martí -- barely survived an effort by fellow board members to remove him from that post. (BBG broadcasts are listened to by an estimated 100 million people worldwide.)