Head Of NPR Resigns Amidst Scandal

The CEO of National Public Radio, Vivian Schiller, told the network’s Board of Directors on Wednesday that she will step down from her position immediately.

The announcement follows the news yesterday that an NPR executive named Ron Schiller (no relation to Vivian) told a pair of men posing as members of a fictitious Muslim Education Action Center Trust that the network would be fine without federal funding. Those remarks fueled fresh calls by congressional Republicans to defund the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which helps fund NPR.

Just this week, during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, Vivian Schiller argued that NPR would be weakened without government support.

Ron Schiller, who had previously announced that he would be leaving the network this month to take another job, was asked to resign immediately.

Here is the statement from Board Chairman Dave Edwards:

“It is with deep regret that I tell you that the NPR Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Vivian Schiller as President and CEO of NPR, effective immediately.

“The Board accepted her resignation with understanding, genuine regret, and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years.

“Vivian brought vision and energy to this organization. She led NPR back from the enormous economic challenges of the previous two years. She was passionately committed to NPR’s mission, and to stations and NPR working collaboratively as a local-national news network.

“According to a CEO succession plan adopted by the Board in 2009, Joyce Slocum, SVP of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, has been appointed to the position of Interim CEO. The Board will immediately establish an Executive Transition Committee that will develop a timeframe and process for the recruitment and selection of new leadership.

“I recognize the magnitude of this news – and that it comes on top of what has been a traumatic period for NPR and the larger public radio community. The Board is committed to supporting NPR through this interim period and has confidence in NPR’s leadership team.”

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