David Koch Resigns as WNET Trustee Amid New Article

[Triana]

Amid concerns that Koch Industries could buy several major U.S. newspapers from Tribune Company, industrial billionaire David Koch was forced to step down as trustee of WNET, New York City’s largest public TV station, after the New Yorker revealed how WNET gave Koch inappropriate influence over its programming. Mr. Koch was floating a seven-figure donation over WNET’s leadership as the station aired a movie that portrayed him as a particularly greedy Manhattan resident.

Sure enough, WNET didn’t wind up receiving David Koch’s hefty donation.

Last Thursday, David Koch submitted his resignation at a WNET Board of Trustees meeting, and Brad Johnson at Forecast the Facts* reports that Koch’s name was scrubbed from WNET’s website several days prior to the resignation. Koch Industries’ public relations website, KochFacts, released a preemptive response to the New Yorker article (which it has now urgently elaborated on), attempting to stifleNew Yorker reporter Jane Mayer and the details of her newest piece. David Koch’s resignation as a WNET Trustee, coupled with telling quotes from WNET president Neal Shapiro and other sources, makes it clear that Koch had too much influence at the decreasingly-public TV station in New York.

MORE. . .

http://www.nationofchange.org/media-manipulators-david-koch-resigns-wnet-trustee-amid-new-yorker-article-1369405651

[Mnemosyne]

1. K&R for more visibility. nt

[LeftInTX]

2. Kick!!! I printed out and am reading Jane Mayer's May 2013 article right now!!

[midnight]

3. K&R

[flamingdem]

4. Frickin worm

I hope they shook him down well at least

[Cleita]

5. K&R

[sheshe2]

6. Triana, this is an excellent article.

Thank you for posting.

It's time everyone hears the truth, that the Koch s are trying to buy America, and destroy her!

[timdog44]

23. Had been fearing this

for several weeks since I saw they were in the market for the Tribune Co. I saw where the people at the Las Angeles paper owned by the Tribune Co. walked out in protest when they heard the news that they might be purchased by the evil brothers.

[freshwest]

46. I haven't heard the resolution of that attempt, yet. We've lost our progressive voices up here.

In print, radio and television. We once had great journalism, with reporters who supported the 99%. Now they're playing footsie with even online editions, editoralizing for ALEC type actions, sneering at liberal and progressive officials. I could go into examples, but it's local and wouldn't mean much. They've gone stealth conservative libertarian/teabag in the goals, just dress it up with other stuff. It's hurting us here.

[timdog44]

51. I have been keeping my ears out

for the results. No for sure info on it, but it seems that I heard they had given up. Hope so. Journalism has gone down the tubes, that is for sure. I hate having to look at headlines, or articles, and then go out and find the truth. But that makes me more sure of my facts.

[midnight]

49. Is a Murdoch press just like a Koch press?

[caseymoz]

7. Next, a redoubling of the efforts to crush PBS.

If the can't subvert it, they have to destroy it.

[HiPointDem]

8. kr

[DCKit]

9. Cutting government money to PBS and NPR was intentional.

What could have possibly made it easier for a few big money donors to have that kind of undue influence?

They hijacked NPR and PBS.

[Auntie Bush]

10. Good news and a quick kick before bedtime!

[longship]

11. R&K for exposure and for later recall. nt

[UtahLib]

12. The Koch boys are such sneaky worms.

I hope a bright light will eventually illuminate every dastardly venture of which they are the architects.

[RKP5637]

26. And scum! n/t

[meow2u3]

13. Kick for the sake of bringing down the Kochtopus

[frazzled]

14. He resigned before the New Yorker article came out

In the end, the various attempts to assuage David Koch were apparently insufficient. On Thursday, May 16th, WNET’s board of directors quietly accepted his resignation. It was the result, an insider said, of his unwillingness to back a media organization that had so unsparingly covered its sponsor.

The New Yorker article came out for the May 27 edition (though it comes online the week before). In it, it says that the board accepted his resignation on May 16. That means he'd already tendered the resignation; it was probably not accepted until the next board meeting. The issues had to do with PBS and the two programs that took him to task, whether modified or not.

I'm just trying to set the timeline straight, for the record.

[dmr]

43. Yea, that's how I understand it.

I just hope the Kochs don't get their nasty hands on the Tribune newspapers.

[alfredo]

15. knr

[freshwest]

16. Triana, thanks, more good news.

[timdog44]

24. That's right.

More, more, more. Lets at least keep the Kocks out of the news media ownership.

[SunSeeker]

17. K & R

[Shankapotomus]

18. I wonder if the movie

that portrayed Koch as greedy was created because they knew it would force his hand. Donors are not supposed to be able to dictate programming, right? So maybe because it was about him, he felt to attempt to supress it and that's where he ran afoul?

In any event, good.

[defacto7]

19. Major K&R

Now who do I send my donation of support for this fine ass kicking?

[Triana]

29. The media outlet is Nation of Change (nationofchange.org)

https://secure.nationofchange.org/

Not sure if that's what you were referring to.

[closeupready]

20. Right, but they still accept Chick-Fil-A money on the children's WNET.

Was very disappointed to see that.

[mwooldri]

31. CFA underwriting AFAIK is national.

If a major donor contributes to the production of a specific program, their sponsor message usually sticks with the program for a long period of time. Look at Mr. Rogers Neighborhood - yes I know he has passed on quite some time ago to a better place.. and yes I know that the shows aren't generally re-run anymore. But when they did run, those sponsor messages are still there, as they ever were.

[Bluenorthwest]

58. Not sure what your alphabet means, but all sponsorship is a two way street. WNET promotes hate

mongers by taking money from them.

[summer-hazz]

21. I want to see

Citizen Koch,
and Park Avenue...

I do love this news about him steeping down..

[dmr]

44. You can watch Park Avenue on YouTube. (link inside)

I found it yesterday, though I haven't watched it yet.

Edit: I forget to say: Welcome to DU!

[summer-hazz]

57. Sweet!!!

Thank you for the link! I will use it..

Also, thank you for the welcome to DU!!!

[tex-wyo-dem]

22. Jeezus...is there nothing these a-holes don't touch!?

Good news, in any case.

Fuckers need to be put in there place.

[timdog44]

25. They used to touch

a part of me, which they don't any more. Had a hard time in the decision. It was Northern bathroom tissue. I always thought of them when I used it. Butt, in the end, I quit buying any.

[malaise]

27. Anyone notice how government attempts to control the press are all over

the corporate owned media, but there is no discussion of this on TV.

[Sunlei]

28. good that this public TV station noticed a wealthy 'donor' push a control private agenda.

This happens to a lot of charities and public service groups. Some wealthy benefactor gets to much control, they get on the BOD, get all enraged about something personal and ruin the charity.

Almost seems like a "game" to some extremely wealthy people. To take down whatever they please or don't like in their world.

They could have built 1,000 new hospitals with the funds they put to charity and public service TV bashing.

[ReRe]

30. K&R

... damn megalomaniac Bircher. Thanks for the good news this morning, Triana.

[Billsmile]

32. Remember This Phrase?

"Your money's no good here."

Nice to hear it again.

[mountain grammy]

33. Good news, thank you! Good for WNET!

[hue]

34. Thanks for posting this! Yup, the Kochs have had way too much control over the media & want more yet

[CanonRay]

35. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless

Now if we can get him kicked off the planet...

[Hugin]

36. I always cringed when I saw his name among the "donors", because I figured he was up to no good.

Looks like my big fat gut was correct.

[supernova]

37. So now they're free to air "Citizen Koch" -eom

[SummerSnow]

38. yuuch

[Smarmie Doofus]

39. Good, g'bye, don't let the door, am-scray buster, adios muchacho, sayonara, drop me a line, bon voya

ge, kisses, later gater, ciao.

[RainDog]

40. k&r n/t

[L0oniX]

41. So ...I hope they will run the movie now. n/t

[deminks]

42. Koch Family Evil Empire

now there's your pond scum.

[myrna minx]

45. K&R n/t

[Initech]

47. These wannabe dictators need to be arrested and tried for treason.

If they get their greedy mitts on Tribune Corp we can kiss freedom of the press goodbye.

[tosh]

48. K&R!

[another_liberal]

50. The champagne cork . . .

And so he departed the board of trustees with these words ringing in his ears:

"Don't let the champagne cork hit you on the ass as you go out the door, creepy fucker!"

[Fearless]

52. He resigned to keep donating and infecting

I mean influencing them.

[defacto7]

53. It is good news...

But don't let your guard down, he's no fool. He wouldn't just step aside unless he had an alternate plan. In other words, I bet he's not crying over this.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

54. He's got his blasted name blasted into the side of the "State Theater" (formerly)

He got that dedication through very shady business deals with architects and previous tenants - New York City Opera. NYO was cast into the streets thanks to his shenanigans.

They better stay away from the L.A. Times. They are not wanted in SoCal at all!!!

[MaeScott]

55. K and R. nt

[aquart]

56. Scum Billionaire.

[Triana]

60. "ScumDog Billionaire"

Yep.

[Stuart G]

59. What a piece of trash K and R..nt

[no_hypocrisy]

61. Great! Rim the "Park Avenue/Citizen Koch" documentary tomorrow!

http://truth-out.org/news/item/16494-pbs-killed-wisconsin-uprising-documentary-citizen-koch-to-appease-koch-brothers

[Quantess]

62. How did I miss this?

I'll have to read it!