Breaking: NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller has submitted her resignation to the Board of the pubic broadcaster following an embarrassing undercover video captured Ron Schiller, NPR’s former senior vice president for fund-raising, and no relation to Vivian Schiller, calling the Tea Party “racist” and “scary” and questioning whether NPR needs federal funding.
Ron Schiller stepped down from NPR yesterday.
Vivian Schiller’s resignation also follows the very public firing from NPR of Fox News analyst Juan Williams which later cost Ellen Weiss, head of news at NPR, her job.
At the time of Weiss’ firing in January, the NPR board “expressed confidence in Vivian Schiller’s leadership going forward.” Less than three months later, Schiller is out of a job.
Interestingly, Schiller was to be in New York today and in fact at our mediabistro studios to tape an interview for our MediaBeat video series. An NPR publicist informed us yesterday that Schiller’s trip to New York was “cut short” and that the interview would be postponed for a second time.
NPR’s release after the jump.
NPR BOARD OF DIRECTORS STATEMENT ON RESIGNATION OF VIVIAN SCHILLER, NPR PRESIDENT & CEO
March 9, 2011; Washington, D.C. –
The NPR Board of Directors announced today that it has accepted the resignation of Vivian Schiller as President and CEO of NPR, effective immediately.
Board Chairman Dave Edwards said: “The Board accepted Vivian’s resignation with understanding, genuine regret and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years.”
According to a CEO succession plan adopted by the Board in 2009, Joyce Slocum, SVP of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, will be appointed to the position of Interim CEO. The Board will establish an Executive Transition Committee to develop a timeframe and process for the recruitment and selection of new leadership.