Two Big Thumbs-Up For Public Radio, TV

Bode said yesterday that the two ombudsmen were never intended to be liberal and conservative halves. "When I took the job," he said, "I took it as a job of journalism, not one of politics. I've never had a conversation with Ken Tomlinson" about his political leanings.

Some have questioned whether Bode fits a "liberal" role, in any case. He endorsed Indiana Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels last year, and he is an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank that often advocates conservative policies.

When he took the part-time job earlier this year, Bode said he didn't believe there were major balance issues at PBS or NPR. "There's no 'O'Reilly Factor' on PBS, and no 'Crossfire,' " he said. But since Tomlinson's comments on the matter fueled controversy about fairness, Bode is taking another look at the issue. He said he intends to weigh in during the next few weeks.

Said Schulz: "It's far too early for me, at least, to come to a conclusion about overall balance, or in individual programs. That will become more apparent as we listen more and watch more." Moyers, who had publicly feuded with Tomlinson, left "Now" for unrelated reasons at the end of last year, but is returning tonight as host of "Wide Angle," a series featuring international documentaries.

Asked about the ombudsmen's work yesterday, Tomlinson said it reflected the fact that "the vast majority of [public broadcast] programming is pretty good." He said the ombudsman positions were created so that members of Congress or "John Q. Public" would have "a serious place to turn" in the event of controversy.

Tomlinson himself came in for some criticism yesterday during a Senate subcommittee hearing about public broadcasting. A bipartisan panel that is considering CPB's funding request for next fiscal year took Tomlinson to task for his hiring of an Indiana consultant, Frederick W. Mann, who was paid about $14,000 last year to study the political leanings of guests on various NPR and PBS public affairs show. Democrats and people who produced the programs have attacked the study as flawed. Some have suggested it was part of a political witch hunt. But Tomlinson defended it as means to document the need for diverse viewpoints.

Tomlinson also was criticized by Democratic lawmakers for spending about $10,000 to hire two GOP consultants last year to gauge congressional opinions about legislation to change the way the agency's board was comprised. "Why not just pick up the phone and call us?" asked Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). "You could have saved $10,000."

Tomlinson replied that the hiring was a fairly routine practice at CPB and was done with the knowledge of the agency's then-chief executive, Robert Coonrod, who acknowledged this yesterday.

Both Tomlinson and the CPB's new president, former Republican National Committee co-chairwoman Patricia Harrison, advocated that the Senate restore funding cuts made by the House in its budget bill. They got a vote of support from Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who said at the hearing that he would work for full funding.