White House Withdraws Warren Bell as CPB Nomineee

By Stevie Converse
Benton Foundation

President Bush has withdrawn the nomination of Warren Bell to serve on the board of directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In June 2007, President Bush surprised some when he nominated [1] National Review contributor Warren Bell to serve on the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

In July, the Los Angeles Times reported that Bell described himself as "thoroughly conservative in ways that strike horror into the hearts of my Hollywood colleagues."

The nomination of Warren Bell, executive producer of ABC's "According to Jim" and a contributor to the online edition of the conservative National Review magazine, has puzzled and alarmed some public broadcasters, who fear he would revive the sharp political debate that engulfed the system last year. Common Cause [2] questioned his qualifications and did the Association of Public Television Stations [3].

Although the Senate Commerce Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing in September, he was later scratched from the hearing's agenda [4]. In December, President Bush made Bell a recess appointment [5] to the post and, in January, asked the Senate to confirm Bell for a term ending in 2012 [6].

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/02/20080212-6.html [7]


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