WASHINGTON – Gary Knell, named yesterday as the new president of National Public Radio, does not take office for another two months, but he is wasting no time outlining his priorities.
Knell, the longtime CEO of the organization that produces “Sesame Street,” told the Associated Press he plans to “depoliticize” NPR, a quote that will be repeated widely here and among NPR’s critics. Knell added that he does not believe NPR News is biased, but there is no doubt he will need to explain his use of the “d” word in meetings inside and outside NPR headquarters.
The NPR CEO position has been vacant since March. The NPR board decided that then president Vivian Schiller could no longer lead the organization, after controversies over the firing of Juan Williams and over videotaped remarks by her senior vice president indicating the network does not need federal funds.
Knell brings to NPR a deep knowledge of public broadcasting, a record of producing successful programs, and a history of solid financial management. He also has recent history of innovation in international partnerships – in South Africa, India, Northern Ireland, and Egypt – which represents an important area for future opportunities for NPR. (Disclosure: Related to Knell’s international work, he serves as a member of the advisory board of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.)
Under Knell’s leadership, Sesame Workshop expanded its programming onto digital platforms, and according to the organization’s 2009 annual report, more people now watch “Sesame Street” online than on television.
Critical to Knell’s appointment was his experience as CEO, according to news reports, which put his ahead of program executives who applied, including at least one NPR insider. At Sesame Workshop, Knell managed an enterprise with over $150 million operating budget in 2009, according to its annual report. That is comparable to NPR’s annual operation, which recorded revenue of $181 million, according to the network’s most recent IRS Form 990.
Knell said NPR “has to do a better job of making its case” for government financial support, in an interview with the Washington Post.
The network receives a small percentage of its budget from the federal government, but many local NPR stations rely on funding from the federal and state governments. Last summer, cutbacks by some states resulted in reduced public radio services, and in New Jersey the loss of state funding resulted in the New Jersey Network going off the air in June.