Warren Bell

Warren Bell, of California, was nominated June 20, 2006, by President George W. Bush to be a Member of the Board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the remainder of a six-year term expiring January 31, 2012. [1] Bells' nomination was sent June 26, 2006, to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Bell would replace Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, who resigned. Bell's confirmation got stopped in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation by members of that committee.

On December 20, 2006, Bush appointed Bell as a recess nominee, bypassing Senate confirmation proceedings until possibly late 2007. [2]

Profiles

Bell is a contributing writer to the conservative National Review [3], as well as a former executive producer of ABC's sitcom "According to Jim". [4]

According to his biographical note at the foot of columns to the online edition of National Review, Bell is "a 15-year veteran of the sitcom business and a not-so-secret conservative." [5]

Controversy

In one blog post, Bell complained about Disney executives wanting him to include more minorities in the series he produces, "According to Jim". NPR spokeswoman, Andi Sporkin, is critical of Bell's nomination. "So far as we can tell, Mr. Bell only brings a history of questionable comments about women, minorities and the media, and no discernible relevant achievement, involvement or commitment to public broadcasting," she said. [6] The Senate Commerce Committee, which vets nominees to the CPB, has yet to schedule a hearing on Bell's nomination.

Bell said that "What I do for the National Review is speak my mind and generally try to be funny." "My intent for my service with CPB is to ensure a strong healthy, vibrant public broadcasting system for everyone to be proud of. My politics can't enter into it. It's not a partisan position, Bell told the Los Angeles Times. [7]

"Much to the dismay some members of the taxpayer-supported Public Broadcasting System (PBS) bigwigs and Hollywood's far left entertainment community, President Bush has nominated a staunch conservative to serve on the PBS board just a year after another conservative was forced to resign as board chairman because he was accused of injecting partisanship into the agency," NewsMax reported July 15, 2006.

External links

Biographical Notes

• "Warren Bell", Imdb, accessed July 2006.

Articles By Bell

• "Archives of Bell's Columns for National Review Online", accessed July 2006.

General Articles

• White House, "Personnel Announcement", Media Release, June 20, 2006.
• Common Cause, "Who Is Warren Bell?", Sept. 12, 2006.
• Amanda Terkel, "Bush Nominates National Review Writer To Public Broadcasting Board," Think Progress, June 21, 2006.
• Matea Gold,, "Another battle for the CPB: The nomination of a conservative TV executive to the public broadcasting board touches off alarms", Los Angeles Times, July 14, 2006.
• "Hollywood Angry Over PBS Nominee," NewsMax, July 15, 2006.
• "The Warren Bell Diaries...Random Thoughts of a Conservative Sitcom Writer's First Day At PBS," The Huffington Post, July 16, 2006. Transcribed by Steve Young.
• White House Office of the Press Secretary, "Personnel Announcement", Media Release, June 20, 2006.
• Matea Gold, "A feud over Bush's pick: Warren Bell draws criticism as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting appointee", Los Angeles Times, December 22, 2006.